Titanite/sphene

Titanite is a monoclinic mineral. It got its name from the element it contains. The original name of titanite is sphene - in translation = wedge - due to its shape, in which titanite occurs most often. In mineralogy, the term sphene refers mainly to yellow-green and poisonous green titanites from alpine veins.

It occurs accessoryally in igneous (granite, pegmatite) and metamorphosed (shale, gneiss, marble) rocks. Perfectly crystallized specimens are of hydrothermal origin from Alpine-type veins. When the original rock is weathered, it gets into the sediments.

Hardness 5-5.5 Mohs scale. Color: white, yellow, brown, green, red, black. Luster diamond, vitreous, oily, transparency: transparent to translucent.

For a long time, titanite was considered more for collection purposes only. However, after the discovery of a deposit in Madagascar, the transparent and beautifully colored crystals began to be used as precious stones (faceted cuts, cabochons). Titanite has an extraordinary luster, and when properly cut, the internal reflections surpass that of diamond. However, they may appear blurry due to the biaxial nature of the crystal. It is also used to obtain titanium and can be used as a pigment.