Astrophyllite

Spectacular, brittle, best left in the box.

Greek for star leaf, and correctly so: bronze blades radiating from a point across a grey feldspar matrix. The blades are Mohs 3 to 4 and pluck straight out of the rock, which is why so much of it is resin-stabilised before cutting. Spectacular, brittle, best left in the box.

Handle it as a specimen.

Greek for star leaf, and accurate: bronze blades radiating from a point across grey feldspar. It is a collector's mineral that fell into the crystal trade by looking spectacular, and at Mohs 3 to 4 the blades pluck out of the matrix. Handle it as a specimen.

Star leaf, and the blades really do radiate outward.

Astrophyllite means star leaf, and the bronze blades really do radiate from a point like spokes. They are strongly pleochroic, shifting from red-orange to lemon yellow as you turn them, and they are soft enough to pluck out of the matrix. Do not tumble it and do not soak it.

Soft enough that the blades pluck straight out.

Bronze blades radiating from a point across a pale feldspar matrix, which is exactly what star leaf means. The blades are soft enough to pluck straight out, so most pieces have been resin-stabilised simply to survive cutting. Never soak it and never tumble it.

Star leaf in Greek, and for once the name is accurate.

Star leaf, in Greek, and for once the name is a description rather than a pitch. Bronze blades radiate from central points into starbursts across a dark feldspar matrix, and they swing from red-orange to lemon as you rotate them. The blades flake off the matrix. Do not tumble it.

Greek for star leaf, and accurate for once.

Greek for star leaf, and accurate for once. Bronze blades radiate from a point across pale feldspar, soft at 3 to 4, which is why the blades pluck out of the matrix and why so much of it is resin-stabilised before anyone dares cut it. Store it well away from everything else.

Red-orange from one angle, lemon from another, both true.

Greek for star leaf, and accurate: bronze titanium-silicate blades radiating from a point across a dark feldspar matrix. The blades are strongly pleochroic, deep red-orange from one angle and lemon yellow from another, and both readings are the true colour. Soft enough to scratch with a coin.

The blades pluck out of the matrix under a brush.

Greek for star leaf, and accurate: bronze blades radiating from a point across pale feldspar, strongly pleochroic, running red-orange to lemon as you turn it. A collector mineral that fell into the crystal trade on looks alone. The blades pluck out of the matrix under a soft brush.

The blades pluck out of the matrix.

Greek for star leaf, and accurately so: bronze blades radiating from a point across pale feldspar. It comes from a short list of alkaline igneous localities, chiefly the Khibiny massif on the Kola Peninsula and Mont Saint-Hilaire in Quebec. The blades pluck out of the matrix.

A specimen that fell into the trade by looking spectacular.

Greek for star leaf, and accurate: a rare titanium silicate that grows in bronze blades radiating from a single point. The blades are Mohs 3 and pluck straight out of the matrix, which is why most cut pieces have been resin-stabilised. A specimen that fell into the trade by looking spectacular.

It fell into the crystal trade purely by looking spectacular.

Star leaf, in Greek, and accurately: bronze blades radiate from central points into fans across a dark matrix. It is a rare titanium silicate from alkaline igneous rocks that fell into the crystal trade purely by looking spectacular. The blades pluck out of the matrix, so most cut pieces are resin-stabilised.

Each blade changes colour with the angle you hold it.

Star leaf in Greek, and the blades really do radiate from central points into bronze fans across a dark matrix. It is strongly pleochroic, so each blade changes colour with the angle you hold it. Soft enough that the blades pluck out of the rock during cutting.

Astrophyllite is carried for transformation, intuition and clarity. Greek for 'star leaf', and correctly so: a rare titanium silicate that grows in bronze blades radiating from a point, found in alkaline igneous rocks at a handful of localities including Mont Saint-Hilaire and the Kola Peninsula.. Tradition links it to the crown, third-eye, solar-plexus chakra.

Astrophyllite is not faked often, but it is still worth checking. Radiating star-shaped sprays of soft bronze blades (3, 4) on a light matrix is unique. Nuummite is hard, black-bodied and shows parallel needles rather than stars.. Often resin-stabilised for cutting because the blades pluck out of the matrix.

No. Astrophyllite dissolves or spalls in water. Dust it dry instead of soaking it, and keep it out of salt.