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Dumortierite Gemstone Information - Fierce Lynx Designs

Dumortierite Gemstone Information

When people think of gems, there’s a good chance dumortierite isn’t one that springs to mind. It doesn’t have a place as a birthstone, causing it to be less widely known than gems like sapphire, topaz, and ruby.

Plus, it isn’t as widely available as stones like quartz. As a result, if you say the name “dumortierite,” most people wouldn’t be able to picture what you’re discussing.

However, this is a bit of a shame. Dumortierite is a beautiful, captivating stone

Dumortierite Properties

raw tumbled Dumortierite

Dumortierite isn’t actually a gemstone, per se. Instead, it’s a mineral – an aluminum borosilicate mineral, to be exact. It’s made up of stone fibers, making dumortierite particularly tough and durable. Additionally, it’s commonly found with quartz, leading some to call it “dumortierite quartz” instead of simply “dumortierite.”

Usually, it takes the right mix of materials and extremely high temperatures for dumortierite to form. The area has to be aluminum-rich, for one. For another, boron-rich granite pegmatites are a critical part of the equation.

Technically, dumortierite is somewhat rare. Additionally, even in locations where it is available, high-quality specimens aren’t always easy to find.

Dumortierite Colors

Like many stones, you can find dumortierite in a range of colors. Usually, it ranges from a deep blue to a soft lilac, often with many clear or white quartz crystals strewn about the matrix.

However, dumortierite also comes in other colors. There are earthy versions, featuring brown or pink coloring, for example. Additionally, some blue dumortierite has a greenish tinge, causing them to appear closer to a teal or turquoise than a true blue.

Pieces of dumortierite can range from translucent to opaque, depending on the overall presence of crystals in the stone. It tends to have a duller luster in its natural state. However, it is often primed for polishing and can achieve a nice sheen.

The History of Dumortierite

Dumortierite carved frog

Dumortierite was first described in 1881 after it was found in France. The stone is actually named after Eugene Dumortier, a French paleontologist, though that isn’t who discovered the stone.

When it comes to uses, dumortierite is mainly ornamental. However, it has been used in spark plugs and various kinds of ceramics or porcelains. For the latter, this is primarily because dumortierite’s color can shift to pure white when exposed to high heat.

Where Is Dumortierite From

While it was originally described in France, the most significant source of the dumortierite stone is practically a world away. Peru, located on the west coast of South America, is one of today's most reliable sources. However, it can also be found in other areas, including Austria, Italy, Madagascar, and Brazil.

Dumortierite Jewelry

If you’re looking for dumortierite jewelry, you don’t want to head to a major chain store. The demand simply isn’t there to justify the space in the cases, so major retailers typically won’t carry it.

But, even with that, you can still get your hands on a lovely dumortierite bracelet or necklace. It’s a popular option with smaller jewelry designers.

When you’re exploring dumortierite jewelry options, there are two forms you’ll usually find. First, cabochons are a popular option for the stone and are often used to create pendants, rings, and earrings. Second, dumortierite beads are a favored approach, particularly for strand necklaces and bracelets. You may also encounter a dumortierite pendulum, as those are widely used items in some belief systems.

As for supporting metals, silver, yellow gold, and white gold are popular for dumortierite. While it would coordinate well with platinum, the stone doesn’t typically have a value high enough to justify that particular pairing.

Shop our Dumortierite Jewelry

Dumortierite Meaning

The dumortierite stone meaning varies depending on the belief system. For example, based on the blue color commonly associated with the dumortierite gem, some may connect it to the throat chakra. This may lead some to view it as a stone for boosting communication or self-expression, though that’s just one possible view.

polished Dumortierite

When it comes to dumortierite metaphysical properties, some see the stone as calming, also potentially due to the coloring. Some think it can promote patience, intellectual thought, or clear-headedness, too.

As far as dumortierite healing properties, it’s critical to keep in mind that there isn’t any scientific evidence that wearing or holding any stone will positively impact a person’s health. However, there typically isn’t any harm in holding, meditating on, or wearing a piece of dumortierite. So, if it makes you feel better or reduces your stress, there is likely no risk in doing so.

Stones Similar to Dumortierite

Which stones look similar to dumortierite depends on the color you’re trying to find. With blue dumortierite, lazurite, sodalite, and lazulite may all have similar coloring. However, they don’t have the same crystal structure, and the intensity of the blue hue tends to be higher.

Kyanite can resemble dumortierite quite closely. They can both have an intense blue coloring, as well as the characteristic crystals. However, kyanite isn’t always the most durable stone. Its hardness varies depending on the crystals' angle, making it a bit brittle in some directions.

There are some cases when shattuckite may resemble dumortierite. However, it tends to be a lighter blue color and generally doesn’t grow particularly large in its crystal form. As a result, the patterning tends to be more like malachite than dumortierite.

Sillimanite has a structure that’s a bit like dumortierite, but it is rarely blue or violet. Instead, it tends to be earthier. This could make sillimanite a reasonable substitute for brown dumortierite. Plus, you may find the occasional pink sillimanite specimen, too.

In some cases, scorodite may have a somewhat similar look to blue dumortierite. However, it’s incredibly fragile, so it doesn’t work well for jewelry. Additionally, the stone contains arsenic. While the arsenic poses no risk when in the pure mineral state, if the scorodite is exposed to water or sweat, it can cause the arsenic to leach out of the stone. If that occurs, it could be absorbed by the wearer, which could be harmful.

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