FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[robynahawk]

I just got this in my email - I've never heard of it - thoughts?

There is a crystal speciman at www_finegemsonline_com

Robyn Hawk

[Pete Richards]

I checked the name at mindat.org and one other good species list, and the only thing that comes close is Danalite, which is listed as pink to grey. It's isometric, which this crystal might possibly be if it is quite distorted. Chemical information listed on the Finegemsonline site indicates that this is something else. My suspicion is that dunilite is a gem trade name which is not recognized as a legitimate mineral name.

[Claus]

In

www(dot)cresla(dot)com/Library/News/News_11_03_04.htm

you find the description of Ratnapuralitie, matching the descitpiton of Dunilite on Finegems web site.

It really rubs me the wrong way that you DESCRIBE a new mineral as a borosilicate and indicate boron is undetected!

Dunilite is listed further down as a 'new member of the Olivine group' (it containes traces of manganese). It seems as if somebody didn't do they home work.

All the best

Claus

[lluis]

Hi, all

Well, as was said, dunilite is not a new mineral

if you take a look at this link (tinyurl with preview; the url was quiet large) you could see all the article.
A short excerpt is placed in the message

(https://)preview-tinyurl-com/836v5j

"Trade Name

The discoverer of this new olivine gemstone has proposed that it be named “Dunilite” , after his first name Dunil . As this is not a new mineral, this would of course be a trade name only and such usage will be at the discretion of the gem trade.

The Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Authority has accepted the name “Dunilite” for this gem and allows its use for gem exports . At last I would like to thank Mrs Willow Wight of the canadian museum of nature, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada."

And yes, Claus, a borosilicate in which boron is not detected is quite interesting!
Uhmmmmmmmmmm! I fear that I should reconsider my chemical training in light of this discovery :-)
With best wishes

Lluís

[Peter]

Indeed many marketing names is employd in the gem business which can create ? among mineral colelctors if they are not at the same time reading some gemmological publications.
(I highly recommend Gems & Gemmoloyg for serious mineralogists or colelctors)

As a joke, in the 1970-80s I used to exhibit some "rubbish specimen" with the label:
Whatthehellisite
or in Sweden Vafanite,
Also vafånit
the last translating to Whatsillyite!
Probably you saw it sometime Claus in Kopparberg!

[John S. White]

The data given on the Fineminerals web site is pure hog wash. No only is it a non-boron bearing "borosilicate" but the composition makes it a very unlikely candidate for the olvine group being, as it is, an aluminosilicate. The composition reported, if it can be trusted, seems very close to andalusite. Wish people would stop introducing such terms as it only compounds the confusion experienced by many collectors and consumers.

[Claus]

John,

"Wish people would stop introducing such terms as it only compounds the confusion experienced by many collectors and consumers."

You seem to overlook the fact that this may be the objective ...

All the best

Claus