Painite
Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NamePainite
Chemical FormulaCaZrBAl9O18
Mohs Hardness8
Crystal Systemhexagonal
Lustervitreous
Streak Colorwhite
Cleavagepoor/indistinct on {1011}
Fractureconchoidal
Specific Gravity4.01
Colorsred, reddish-brown, orange-red, brownish-red
Transparencytransparent
Type LocalityOhngaing (Ohn Gaing; Ohn Kai), Mogok, Sagaing District, Mandalay Division, Burma (Myanmar)
Mineral GroupBorates
Usesjewelry, collector
Associated Mineralsruby, sapphire, spinel, tourmaline, phlogopite
Rarityvery-rare
Description
This specimen features a dark, reddish-brown matrix embedded with numerous small, bright reddish-pink to deep red painite crystals, some exhibiting distinct hexagonal prismatic forms, alongside larger, darker prismatic crystals.
Geological Context
Painite typically forms in metamorphic rocks, often in contact metamorphic zones associated with granitic intrusions, such as marble or gneiss. It is also found in alluvial deposits derived from these primary sources.
