Taaffeite, Musgravite, Pehrmanite

Formula Taaffeite (Magnesiotaaffeite 2N’2S): Mg₃Al₈BeO₁₆
   Elements: Mg 13.17%, Be 1.63%, Al 38.98%, O 46.23%
Mineral class: oxides
Crystal system: hexagonal
Mohs scale: 8 - 8.5
Density (g/cm³): 3.60 - 3.61
Refractive index: 1.719 - 1.730
Cleavage: -
Colors: colorless, mauve, light violet, brown-violet, reddish, pink, blueish
Luster: vitreous
Fluorescence: -
Pleochroism: -
Largest Taaffeite: 33.33 ct (1999 auction in Hong Kong)
Deposits: Australia, China, Madagascar, Myanmar, Ratnapura /Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tunduru / Tanzania, USA
Discovery: 1945
1st Description: 1951
Name: in honor of the Irish gemologist Count Edward Charles Richard Taaffe (1898 – 1967)
History:
• Detection in 1945, in a "waste-bag" of a jeweller. Earlier identifications as mauve-colored spinel. The discoverer, Count Taaffe, realized that this "spinel" shows a double refraction which is impossible to spinels.
• Discovery of another Taaffeite in a gems collection from Sri Lanka in 1949.
• A third taaffeite was found in 1957 by Robert Crowningshield.
• Discovery of a fourth stone in 1967.

Taaffeite

Weight: 1.02 ct

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.multicolour.com

Taaffeite Mineral

Size: 1.09 x 0.99 x 0.50 cm
Weight: 4.25 ct
Origin: Ohngaing / Mogok / Myanmar

Photo by kind permission of © www.crystal-treasure.com

Taaffeite

Weight: 3.25 ct

Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.thegemtrader.com

Taaffeite

Weight: 2.53 ct

Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.multicolour.com

Taaffeite

Weight: 0.68 ct

Origin: Ratnapura / Sabaragamuwa Prov. / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com

Taaffeite Mineral

Origin: Ratnapura / Sabaragamuwa Prov. / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © Peter Seroka

Taaffeite

Size: 0.8 x 0.47 cm
Weight: 0.73 ct
Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.thegemtrader.com

Taaffeite

Weight: 1.14 ct

Origin: Ratnapura / Sabaragamuwa Prov. / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © Jan-Henrik Meyer

Taaffeite

Weight: 3.28 ct

Photo by kind permission of © www.palagems.com

Taaffeite Mineral

Origin: Ratnapura / Sabaragamuwa Prov. / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com

Taaffeite

Size: 0.81 x 0.58 cm
Weight: 1.96 ct
Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.rarestone.com

Taaffeite

Weight: 6.17 ct

Origin: Africa

Photo by kind permission of © www.bkkgemstones.com

Taaffeite

Weight: 1.80 ct

Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.multicolour.com

Taaffeite Ring

Taaffeite: 1.44 ct; 0.87 x 0.64 cm
Diamonds: 32; total 0.38 ct
Gold: 18K White gold

Photo by kind permission of © www.davidwein.com

Taaffeite

Size: 0.7 x 0.58 cm
Weight: 1.22 ct
Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.earthstreas.com

Taaffeite Mineral

Size: 1.0 x 0.7 x 0.7 cm

Origin: Kuruwita / Sabaragamuwa Prov. / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.civilminerals.com

Taaffeite

Size: 0.71 x 0.55 x 0.35 cm
Weight: 0.98 ct
Origin: Ohngaing / Mogok / Myanmar

Photo by kind permission of © www.crystal-treasure.com

Taaffeite

Size: 0.38 x 0.30 cm
Weight: 0.18 ct
Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.thegemtrader.com

Taaffeite Mineral

Origin: Ratnapura / Sabaragamuwa Prov. / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com

Taaffeite

Weight: 3.92 ct

Origin: Ratnapura / Sabaragamuwa Prov. / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © Jan-Henrik Meyer

Taaffeite

Weight: 0.28 ct

Origin: Ratnapura / Sabaragamuwa Prov. / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.rocklogic.biz

Taaffeite

Size: 0.6 cm
Weight: 0.81 ct
Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.thegemtrader.com

Taaffeite Mineral

Origin: Ratnapura / Sabaragamuwa Prov. / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.irocks.com

Taaffeite Mineral

Weight: 3.8 ct Size: 0.9 x 0.71 x 0.67 cm

Origin: Ratnapura / Sabaragamuwa Prov. / Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.civilminerals.com

Taaffeite

Size: 0.89 x 0.75 x 0.47 cm
Weight: 2.35 ct
Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.palagems.com

Taaffeite

Size: 0.70 x 0.48 x 0.36 cm
Weight: 1.08 ct
Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.gemaholics.com

Taaffeite

Weight: 1.03 ct

Origin: Sri Lanka

Photo by kind permission of © www.gemfrance.com

Taaffeite Mineral

Size: 1.20 x 0.95 x 0.77 cm

Origin: Ohngaing / Mogok / Myanmar

Photo by kind permission of © www.crystal-treasure.com

Taaffeite

Weight: 16.50 ct

Origin: Ohngaing / Mogok / Myanmar

Photo by kind permission of © www.crystal-tresaure.com

Taaffeite

Weight: 1.62 ct

Origin: Ohngaing / Mogok / Myanmar

Photo by kind permission of © www.crystal-tresaure.com

Taaffeite Mineral Cat's Eye

Size: 0.82 x 0.81 x 0.48 cm
Weight: 0.68 g
Origin: Ohngaing / Mogok / Myanmar

Photo by kind permission of © www.crystal-tresaure.com

Taaffeite Mineral Star

Size: 1.50 x 1.32 x 0.48 cm
Weight: 9.33 ct
Origin: Ohngaing / Mogok / Myanmar

Photo by kind permission of © www.crystal-tresaure.com

Formula Musgravite (Magnesiotaaffeite 6N’3S): (Fe²⁺,Zn,Mg)₂Al₆BeO₁₂
   Elements: Mg 9.69%, Be 1.9%, Al 37.95%, Zn 1.53%, Fe 3.93%, O 45.00%
Mineral class: oxides
Crystal system: hexagonal
Mohs scale: 8 - 8.5
Density (g/cm³): 3.68
Refractive index: 1.717 - 1.739
Cleavage: -
Colors: pale olive green, grey, mauve, grey purple
Luster: vitreous
Largest Musgravite: 5.93 ct?
Deposits:
Ernabella / Musgrave Range / South Australia / Australia,
Ihosy / Horombe / Fianarantsoa Prov. / Madagascar
Horahana / Hokandara / Sri Lanka,
Tunduru / Ruvuma Prov. / Tanzania, Burma (Mogok), Antarctica, Greenland
Discovery: 1967
1st Description: 1967
Name: from the type locality at the Musgrave Mountain Ranges in Central Australia

Musgravite

Weight: 0.65 ct

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.multicolour.com

Musgravite

Weight: 0.45 ct

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.bkkgemstones.com

Musgravite

Weight: 1.39 ct

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.multicolour.com

Musgravite

Weight: 3.69 ct

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.multicolour.com

Musgravite

Weight: 5.93 ct

Origin: South Madagascar

Photo by kind permission of © www.bkkgemstones.com

Musgravite

Weight: 0.44 ct

Origin: Tunduru / Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.minclassics.com

Musgravite

Weight: 3.97 ct

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.multicolour.com

Musgravite

Weight: 0.88 ct

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.multicolour.com

Musgravite

Weight: 0.48 ct

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.bkkgemstones.com

Musgravite

Weight: 3.86 ct

Origin: Tanzania

Photo by kind permission of © www.multicolour.com

Musgravite

Weight: 3.24 ct
Size: Diameter 8.82 - 8.69 mm x 6.10 mm
Origin: Ohngaing / Mogok / Myanmar

Photo by kind permission of © www.cvs.fi

Formula Pehrmanite (Ferrotaaffeite 6N’3S): (Fe²⁺,Zn,Mg)₂Al₆BeO₁₂
   Elements: Mg 1.03%, Be 1.72%, Al 34.43%, Zn 4.17%, Fe 17.81%, O 40.83%
Mineral class: Oxides
Crystal system: hexagonal
Mohs scale: 8 - 8.5
Density (g/cm³): 4.07
Cleavage: -
Colors: pale green with grey tones
Luster: vitreous
Fluorescence: -
Pleochroism: -
Largest Pehrmanite: 250 µm (1/4 mm!)
Deposits: Kemio (Kimito) Island / Finland
Discovery: 1981
1st Description: 1981 (E.A.J. Burke and W.J. Lustenhouwer)
Name: in honor of the Finnish mineralogist Gunnar Pehrman (1895–1980)

September 16th, 2008

... We never found any idiomorphic crystals of pehrmanite: in our material it occurs in small grains as a rock forming mineral intergrown with nigerite and hercynite. We have no photos from the few thin sections in which the mineral was found so I am sorry , I can't help you.
Best regards,
Wim J. Lustenhouwer
Laboratory for Microanalysis
Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam