Inorganic Gemstones

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Dravite

Rough Dravite

Dravite is an extremely dark coloured (usually brown) type of tourmaline, full of magnesium. You'll be able to lighten the color by heat treatment. Dravite shows strong dichroism, and really should therefore ve cut using the table facet parallel to along the crystal so that you can show a lighter and much more attractive colour.

Dravite may appear as single crystals, or as parallel or radiating groups. Brown tourmaline and yellow tourmaline occur together within the gem gravels of Sri Lanka. It's also found in the united states, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Australia.

The name “dravite” hails from the district of Drave, in Austria.


Properties
Chemical Composition: 

Complex borosilicate

Crystal System / Forms: 

Trigonal

Hardness: 
7.5
Specific Gravity: 

3.06

Lustre: 
Vitreous
Refractive Index / Birefringence: 

1.61-1.63 / 0.018

Cuts & Uses: 

Brilliant, Mixed, Cushion.

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