![Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0 [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons](https://www.gemsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Meliphanite.jpg)
Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0 [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Meliphanite is an extremely rare gemstone, and perhaps fewer than 5-10 faceted stones have ever been cut.
Meliphanite Value
The International Gem Society (IGS) has a list of businesses offering gemstone appraisal services.
Meliphanite Information
| Data | Value |
| Name | Meliphanite |
| Crystallography | Tetragonal. Crystals thin and tabular; also aggregates. |
| Colors | Colorless, shades of yellow. reddish. |
| Luster | Vitreous. |
| Hardness | 5-5.5. |
| Density | 3.0-3.03. |
| Birefringence | 0.019. |
| Cleavage | Perfect 1 direction. Fracture uneven. Brittle. |
| Stone Sizes | Crystal clusters have been found up to several inches long. Clean, facetable material is very rare, however; the material is sometimes cut into small cabochons. |
| Luminescence | None. |
| Spectral | Not diagnostic. |
| Formula | (Ca,Na)2Be(Si,Al)2(O,OH,F)7. |
| Pleochroism | Distinct in shades of yellow and red. |
MELIPHANITE (= MELINOPHANE)
Optics: o = 1.612; e=1.593.
Uniaxial (-).
Occurrence: Nepheline syenites and skarns.
Julienhaab district, Greenland; Langesundsfford, Norway:
Gugiya, China.
Comments: Meliphanite is an extremely rare gemstone, and perhaps fewer than 5-10 faceted stones have ever been cut.
Name: From Greek words meaning appearing as honey, in allusion to the color.
