Kyanite
Kyanite is a silicate mineral prized by collectors for its exceptional color range, with known Chinese sources.
About Kyanite
Kyanite is a silicate mineral in the kyanite group and has the chemical formula Al2(SiO4)O. It crystallizes in the triclinic system and is one of the most visually varied minerals in the collector market. Its combination of structural character and global distribution make it a recognized species in both systematic and aesthetic collections.
Identification & care
Crystals commonly develop as bladed, tabular, elongated crystals; lamellar twinning on {100} common; also columnar, fibrous. Its color range is broad, including blue (most characteristic), white, light gray, green, rarely yellow, orange, pink, and often blue core with white edges. The luster is vitreous, sub-vitreous, greasy, pearly, the streak is white, and specimens are typically transparent, translucent. The cleavage is perfect on {100}, good on {010}. The fracture is irregular/uneven, which aids identification.
Collector context
How it forms
The geological setting for Kyanite is typically characteristic mineral of high-pressure, medium-temperature metamorphism; used as geobarometer; found in schists, gneisses, eclogites; rare in pegmatites. It is commonly found in association with staurolite, garnet, quartz, biotite, muscovite, sillimanite (al2sio5 polymorph).
Classic Chinese localities
Kyanite is widely represented across Chinese provinces, including Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Hubei.
Why collectors care
Kyanite is a frequently-sought species in serious collections because its habit is recognizable, its color often strong, and its best examples unmistakable even at a distance. Chinese material has driven much of the recent visual shift in the species — sharper crystals, deeper colors, cleaner matrix.
What affects value
Value in Kyanite is assessed, in typical order of weight, against: (1) locality provenance; (2) size relative to the species norm; (3) crystal form and termination sharpness; (4) color saturation and zoning; (5) transparency and internal clarity; (6) matrix quality and aesthetic balance; (7) condition (absence of damage, chips, or repair). Cleaning quality and verified locality documentation act as multipliers across the above.
Naming history
The name Kyanite has a specific etymological and historical context — see Mindat's reference entry for provenance details. We have retained naming data at the record level; published prose is paraphrased from factual fields rather than copied from source.
