Scarlett Willow Designs

Gemstone of the Week!

Scarlett Willow DesignsComment

Now this is one that you really don't hear about very often.  Sphene is a very rare brilliant gemstone that is found as yellow-green,  green, orange or brown.  It is found all over the world, in Brazil, Burma, India, Kenya, Madaascar, Mexico, Austria, Sri Lanka and the USA.  The name is from the Greek work "sphen" which means "wedge", describing the crystalline formation and shows the same fire as a diamond when brilliant cut.  It is also known as titanite due to its titanium content.

Even thought this stone is not commonly known, it was first discovered in 1787 and was named titanite in 1795 by Martin Klaproth.  In 1801, the French mineralogist Rene Just Hauy named it Sphene, a better name in my opinion!

This beautiful gemstone is said to be calming and soothing, protecting its wearer from negativity and aid creativity and clear thinking (we could all do with that from time to time!)  Perhaps this is why in Hindu belief systems, Sphene is associated with the Third Eye Chakra, which is related to the mind.

Keep a look out for Sphene when buying your next piece of jewellery....