Painite
Current inventory:  1 gem
 

  
Painite is named for Arthur Charles Davy Pain (? - 1971), a British gem collector, who first noticed the mineral.

Discovered in 1951; IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

CaZrAl₉O₁₅(BO₃)

Calcium Zirconium Aluminum Borate

Molecular Weight:

586.42 gm

Composition:

Sodium

0.74 %

Na

1.00 %

Na₂O

Calcium

5.26 %

Ca

7.36 %

CaO

Zirconium

0.62 %

Zr

0.84 %

ZrO₂

Titanium

1.55 %

Ti

2.59 %

TiO₂

Aluminum

40.49 %

Al

76.50 %

Al₂O₃

Chromium

0.27 %

Cr

0.35 %

CrO

Boron

1.95 %

B

6.29 %

B₂O₃

Oxygen

49.11 %

O

100.00 %

94.94 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Borates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

5/G.05-40

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

6.AB.85

6 : BORATES
A : Monoborates
B : BO₃, with additional anions; 1(D) + OH, etc.

Related to:

n/a

Varieties:

None

Synonyms:

None

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Hexagonal - Dipyramidal

Crystal Habit:

Crystals are elongated, pseudo-orthorhombic, to 1.5 cm

Twinning:

Common

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

None

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

~8.0

Density:

4.01 - 4.03 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

Not Fluorescent; weak red under LW UV, strong red under SW UV

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Optical Properties

Color:

Deep garnet-red, brownish red-orange.

Transparency:

Transparent to Translucent

Luster:

Vitreous (glassy)

Refractive Index:

1.787 - 1.816  Uniaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.0270 - 0.0280

Dispersion:

n/a

Pleochroism:

e = ruby-red; w = pale brownish orange or pale red-orange

Occurances

Geological Setting:

In gem gravels.

Common Associations:

Corundum, Phlogopite

Common Impurities:

None

Type Locality:

Ohngaing (Ohn Gaing; Ohn Kai), Mogok, Sagaing District, Mandalay Division, Myanmar (Burma)

Year Discovered:

1951; identified as a new mineral in 1957

View mineral photos:

Painite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Painite is a rare borate mineral. Until recently, Painite was thought to be the rarest of all gemstones with only a couple faceted gems in existence. At first, the only mineral specimen was a red crystal kept in the British Museum in London, weighing 1.7 grams which was discovered in 1951 and identified in 1957 as a new mineral .  Eventually, other crystals were identified and finally a faceted gem came into existence. The recent find in Mogok has brought Painite to the market in greater quantities but it is still a rare gem. The only two sources of Painite are from near Ohngaing Village (which is also the type locality) and Kyauk-Pyat-Thet, both in Mogok, Sagaing District, Mandalay Division, Myanmar (Burma). Painite is a member of the Fluoborite - Painite mineral series that also includes Jeremejevite.
 

  
Painite gems for sale: