hureaulite - Brazilhureaulite - Brazil

Hureaulite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information


Hureaulite can show rich and lively pink, rose, and orange colors. However, this collector's gem is rarely cut.

0
HomeGemstonesHureaulite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

Hureaulite can show rich and lively pink, rose, and orange colors. However, this collector’s gem is rarely cut.

hureaulite - Brazil
“Hureaulite,” Jocao Mine, Galileia, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil. © Rob Lavinsky, www.iRocks.com. Used with permission.

Start an IGS Membership today

for full access to our price guide (updated monthly).

Hureaulite Value

hureaulite - Pala California
Hureaulite: Pala County, California (~3 inches across). Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.

Comments

With a hardness of 3.5, hureaulite is too soft for jewelry use. Massive material can yield cabochons, although these are seldom cut.

The hureaulite mineral group encompasses this manganese phosphate material as well as chongite, miguelromeroite, nyholmite, sainfeldite, and villyaellenite. Researchers have determined that a red mineral formerly known as palaite from Pala, California is only a variety of hureaulite.

Synthetics

Hydrothermal processes have produced crystals of synthetic material for chemical research purposes. However, no commercial jewelry use for these synthesized hureaulites is known.

Sources

Although gem-quality crystals are rare, many sites worldwide produce this mineral.

Notable gem-quality sources include:

  • United States: Pala, California (orange masses); Branchville, Connecticut; North Groton, New Hampshire; South Dakota.
  • Brazil; Haute Vienne, France; Germany; Poland; Portugal.
hureaulite - Germany
"Hureaulite-114927," Hagendorf South Pegmatite (Cornelia Mine; Hagendorf South Open Cut), Hagendorf, Waidhaus, Vohenstrauß, Oberpfälzer Wald, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany, by Christian Rewitzer. Licensed under CC By-SA 3.0.

Stone Sizes

To date, no faceted gems are known. However, facetable material likely exists. One day, adventurous gem cutters will try their hands at it.

Care

You're more likely to find hureaulites, if at all, in mineral collections than in jewelry collections. Jewelry use isn't recommended.

Avoid exposing this very soluble material to any solutions containing acids.

Consult our Gemstone Jewelry Cleaning Guide for care recommendations.

hureaulite - palaite
"Hureaulite In Phosphate Nodule (Palaite)," Stewart Mine, Tourmaline Queen Mountain, Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA. A beautiful example of a gem once thought to be "palaite." This nodule has an outer layer of sicklerite and an inner hureaulite core. © Rob Lavinsky, www.iRocks.com. Used with permission.

Joel E. Arem, Ph.D., FGA

Dr. Joel E. Arem has more than 60 years of experience in the world of gems and minerals. After obtaining his Ph.D. in Mineralogy from Harvard University, he has published numerous books that are still among the most widely used references and guidebooks on crystals, gems and minerals in the world.

Co-founder and President of numerous organizations, Dr. Arem has enjoyed a lifelong career in mineralogy and gemology. He has been a Smithsonian scientist and Curator, a consultant to many well-known companies and institutions, and a prolific author and speaker. Although his main activities have been as a gem cutter and dealer, his focus has always been education. joelarem.com

Never Stop Learning

When you join the IGS community, you get trusted diamond & gemstone information when you need it.

Become a Member

Get Gemology Insights

Get started with the International Gem Society’s free guide to gemstone identification. Join our weekly newsletter & get a free copy of the Gem ID Checklist!