Mineral Mondays!

Today we take a look at Howlit. It's a beautiful opaque white stone with veins that adds great contrast with other stones but holds it own too. Howlite is frequently dyed to imitate turquoise, thus creating a more affordable option, but I think it's pretty awesome as is. Sometimes the simplest things are the most beautiful!

 

Formula: Ca2 B5 SiO9 (OH)5

System: Monoclinic Colour: White; colourless in ...

Hardness: 3½ - 6½

Name: After Henry How (1828 - 1879) Canadian chemist, geologist, and mineralogist, of Nova Scotia, who first described the species.

Usually compact earthy masses and very rarely in crystals. The earthy material gives a "hardness" of 3.5 but this is just the hardness of separating the grains. The crystals give a hardness of 6.5

Kisses,

K

(Images and info via Mindat , Gyógyítás Kövekkel, and Cochise)

 

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