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 FormulaCaZrAl9O15(BO3)
Mohs Hardness8
Crystal Systemhexagonal
Lustervitreous
Streak Colorwhite
Cleavagepoor/indistinct on {1010}
Fractureconchoidal to uneven
Specific Gravity4.01
Colorsred, reddish-brown, orange-red, pink
Transparencytransparent
Type LocalityOhngaing (Ohn Gaing; Ohn Kai), Mogok, Sagaing District, Mandalay Division, Burma (Myanmar)
Mineral GroupBorates
Usescollector, gemstone
Associated Mineralsruby, sapphire, spinel, tourmaline, phlogopite
Rarityvery-rare
Description
This specimen features several small, reddish-pink to dark red, transparent painite crystals with a vitreous luster, embedded within a dark, possibly metamorphic matrix.
Geological Context
Painite typically forms in metamorphic rocks, particularly in marble or skarn deposits, often found alongside other gem minerals in the Mogok Stone Tract of Myanmar. It crystallizes under high-temperature, low-pressure conditions.
