Kornerupine
Kornerupine
Kornerupine comes in colors ranging from brown to beautiful emerald green to shades of yellow. It has distinctive trichroic pleochroism. Star material has been found in Mogok, Myanmar and is due to tiny rutile and graphite inclusions. Because of its extreme rarity, kornerupine is a highly sought-after collectors stone.
General Information
LWUV: Inert to strong yellow
Kornerupine Colors
-
Black -
Blue -
Brown -
Colorless -
Green -
Green -
Green -
White -
Yellow
Kornerupine Spectra
Color due to iron. A strongly pleochroic gemstone in which the spectrum is best seen in the greenish beta ray by using a polarizing filter as here, a strong broad band is seen centered at 446nm. in the deep blue accompanied by a weaker one in the green centered at 503nm. In the paler yellowish-brown gamma ray this band at 503nm. is usually all that is seen. Absorption of the dark reddish-brown alpha ray is generally too strong to resolve any of these features.
We acknowledge the significant scientific contributions of John S Harris, FGA to the study of gemstone spectra and with deep appreciation to him, acknowledges the use of his images and related notes about gemstones and their spectra in the educational materials on this website.
Alternate Names
Prismatine
Countries of Origin
Tanzania, United Republic Of; Myanmar; Russian Federation; United States of America; Madagascar; Pakistan; Unknown; China; Brazil; Slovakia; France; Colombia; Sri Lanka; Zambia; Kenya; India; Canada; Norway; Finland; South Africa; Uganda; Zimbabwe; Antarctica; Australia; Greenland; Tajikistan
History
Kornerupine was discovered in Greenland and it was named for Danish geologist Andreas N. Kornerup in 1884. The largest stone ever found weighed 16.5cts and was mined in Sri Lanka.
Care
Normal, gentle handling. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners.
Optical Phenomena
Cat's-Eye Kornerupine
Cat’s-Eye Kornerupine can be found in India, Myanmar, and India. The chatoyancy is due to rutile and graphite inclusions. The largest stone reported was over 7 carats.
Star Kornerupine
The first star kornerupine was found in Mogak, Burma in 1884. It has also been reported to have been found in the Taita Hills, Kenya and Sri Lanka. It is extremely rare and displays a 4-ray star.