Kyanite

Kyanite is also sometimes referred to as disthene, cyanite and rhaeticite, and was discovered in the nineteenth century. Its name is derived from the Greek word for blue kyanos, however you can get gem-quality stones in grey, green, white, occasionally black… and blue! Although its blue sheen might at times make you wonder, this is not actually a member of the feldspar family of gemstones. If you are considering this gemstone for your engagement ring or wedding ring it has many appealing qualities. It is a calming stone and is said to open and align the chakras and can help improve your psychic awareness as well as improve musculature and your senses. Kyanite is also used in ceramics, spark plugs, porcelain, abrasive products and is also used frequently as a heat resistant element in cutting and grinding tools. It was once believed that a piece of Kyanite suspended from a human hair could follow the earth’s magnetic force, and it was used by early explorers as a compass to navigate when travelling in unknown territories!

It has a vitreous to pearly lustre and has a triclinic structure and is known for its blade-like qualities. In fact it is often made into ‘kyanite wands’! It is transparent to translucent in colour and can have quite a streaky appearance. The colour distribution in these stones is quite unusual. They tend to be fairly patchy and uneven; however the darker blue colours tend to be in the centre of the crystals. There are some very rare examples of chatoyant kyanite gemstones.

It is formed when clay-rich sedimentary rocks are put under high pressure alteration. It is found in metamorphic gneiss and schist and is frequently veined through these stones. The stones are often cracked from stress induced by these high pressure situations. Kyanite often has inclusions of quartz, pyrite, hematite and rutile needles. It tends to be extracted from open pit mines and alluvial deposits – if you are curious check it out on Google; there are allot of sites dedicated to Kyanite mines in the USA! Stones can be sourced in Kenya, former Burma, India, the European Alps, Brazil, Russia, Australia and the USA.

It can be quite an unusual choice for engagement rings or wedding rings as its durability can vary from stone to stone. You certainly can’t deny the alluring qualities of its stunning vibrant blue colours though! It has a hardness between 4 ½ – 7 on the Mohs’ scale; it is anisotropic which means it has two hardness values depending upon the direction of cleavage, which makes it quite unique when compared to other gemstones. It is very difficult to cut as pressure and speeds have to be adjusted regularly throughout the cutting process. It is not an ideal option for engagement rings as it can be very difficult to set and is considered too delicate to undergo treatments or enhancements, if you have fallen in love with this lovely gemstone be sure to select an engagement ring design with a protective and secure design. Stones tend to be of a large size from around 4mm to 18mm with stones that are usually cut into beads, round and oval cabochon cuts.