With light blue and green colors, no cleavage, and high hardness, boracite is an uncommon mineral. Unfortunately for jewelry lovers, faceted boracites are very rare.
Boracite forms in salt deposits and similar environments as a result of seawater evaporation in enclosed basins. Rare cut boracites can show delicate shades of blue, green, yellow, white, and grey and have moderate dispersion. Some stones are colorless.
Under physical pressure, boracite generates an electric charge. This is known as known the piezoelectric effect. This mineral also exhibits the pyroelectric effect. It generates an electric charge when heated.
Boracite crystals are very small and usually yield gemstones ranging from 1-2 carats, so gems over 2 carats would be considered extreme rarities.
Care
Although boracites react to water very slowly, keep them dry in storage, where they would otherwise have time to sit and decompose. Alcohol may be used in lieu of water for cleaning. Otherwise, since these stones have high hardness (7-7.5) and no cleavage, they require no special care. Consult our gemstone jewelry cleaning guide for more recommendations.