Painite Gemstone: Properties, Meanings, Value & More

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Painite is a red gemstone from Myanmar originally mistaken for ruby. It’s known for being one of the rarest gemstones in the world, which is part of why we’ve included it in our list of the top 10 gemstones of all time.

But is painite the rarest gem? In 2005, painite officially held the Guinness World Record for the world’s rarest gemstone, with under 24 painite gems known in 2004.

Since then, however, there have been thousands of fragments and crystals uncovered, but facetable material is still extremely scarce.

This gem’s rarity and beauty means it’s sought after by collectors and rare gem enthusiasts alike. If you yourself are thinking of browsing some painite for sale, we’ll fill you in on all of the properties, history, benefits, and prices behind this stone so you can shop with confidence.

About Painite Stone

Painite shares a resemblance to both ruby and garnet, making this rare crystal an alternative July birthstone (ruby’s month) or January birthstone (garnet’s month).

Additionally, it can be an extra special substitute for the traditional 40th wedding anniversary (ruby) or 2nd anniversary (garnet) gemstone. On its own, painite is a zodiac stone for Pisces and Aquarius signs.

Although painite is a semi-precious gemstone, its rarity exceeds that of any precious gemstone (i.e. diamond, sapphire, ruby, or emerald).

But why is the painite so rare? The stone’s rarity comes from its composition. Painite minerals contain boron and zirconium, which are very rarely found together. In fact, no other mineral besides painite contains both elements.

Painite Specifications & Characteristics

The mineral painite is a calcium zirconium aluminum boron silicate. The stone's ideal formula is CaZrBAl9O18 with small amounts of hafnium and titanium.

Most of the stone is aluminum oxide (around 70 percent) and zirconium oxide (around 17 percent). Common impurities include chromium, vanadium, and iron, with the former two contributing to painite’s color.

The most similar mineral to painite is the rare aluminum borate mineral jeremjevite. Other borate minerals you may recognize are howlite and londonite.

Usually, painite forms as long, transparent crystals with a hexagonal crystal system, though the crystal system may seem orthorhombic.

How to Identify Painite

It’s easy to confuse painite for a more commonly known gem like ruby or garnet. Even the first discoverer and the British Museum of Natural History have mistaken painite for different stones, namely ruby, garnet, and brown tourmaline.

Moreover, painite’s density and coloring resembles that of ruby and garnet (almandine and spessartite specifically).

However, painite is birefringent (having two refractive index measurements instead of one) while garnets are not. For rubies, you can use refractive index measurements for differentiation; rubies have a refractive index of 1.76-1.77, lower than that of painite.

For all of painite’s mineral properties, including its refractive index and birefringence values, check out the list below:

Mohs hardness: 7.5-8
Color: Red, brownish-red, orange-red
Crystal structure: Hexagonal; Pseudo-orthorhombic
Luster: Vitreous (glassy)
Transparency: Transparent
Refractive index: 1.787-1.816
Density: 4.0-4.3
Cleavage: None determined
Fracture: Conchoidal
Streak: Red
Luminescence: Fluorescence present - weak red in LW-UV, strong red or green in SW-UV
Pleochroism: Present & strong in ruby-red to pale brownish-orange or pale red-orange; Yellowish-brown to red or brownish-violet; Near-colorless to pale orange-pink (pinkish specimens)
Birefringence: 0.029

That’s enough mineralogy — let’s dive into painite’s symbolism and journey through time!

Painite Meaning & History

Though painite doesn’t carry much symbolism on its own, its coloring does. As a red stone, painite symbolizes power, passion, and purpose.

Red in Chinese culture also symbolizes success and happiness. You may see red doors on local shops or adorning brides, both of which are done to attract good luck.

In Feng Shui, red stones are placed to evoke passion and attract prosperity. Red connects to the masculine, outward-focused yang energy.

First Discovery

Painite’s name honors the stone’s discoverer. British mineralogist, gemologist, and gemstone dealer Arthur Charles Davy Pain (or Arthur C.D. Pain) made the first official discovery of painite in Myanmar (then Burma) in the 1950s.

At first, Pain thought it was a ruby and donated it to the British Museum of Natural History. Analysis done by mineralogists at the museum proved it was an entirely new gemstone.

Along with British mineralogists Dr. Max Hey (or M.H. Hey) and Dr. Gordon Frank Claringbull (or G.F. Claringbull), who worked as the museum’s director, Pain published the findings on painite in Mineralogical Magazine in 1957.

This first painite (dubbed “painite #1” by many) was a 1.7-gram crystal that still resides at the museum in London. A slice of the crystal (dubbed “painite #1b”) used for analysis is currently in Pasadena, CA, at the California Institute of Technology.

Later Discoveries

Mineralogists conducted further analysis and published more findings on painite in 1976, 1986, and 1996. However, only two more painite crystals were found between 1957 and 2001.

The second painite discovered, a 2.118-gram crystal, is also in the British Museum of Natural History. The third painite, a 0.27-gram crystal, wouldn’t be discovered until 1979 when gemologists at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) found it in a group of rough gemstone specimens.

A fourth painite stone showed up in Myanmar in 2001. In 2002, another painite locality in Myanmar emerged. Still, there were under 24 painite gems known in 2004, earning the stone its Guinness World Record in 2005.

Later in 2005, miners in Myanmar finally discovered a new, significant outcrop of painite. Though only 2 faceted painite gems were known before 2005, there have been several hundred painite gems faceted since then.

Interestingly, the British Museum of Natural History discovered in 2007 that a stone from Myanmar they’d labeled as a brown tourmaline (and had on display) was in fact a painite.

Besides being a delight to rare gem enthusiasts and collectors, what is painite good for? Crystal healing, of course!

Painite Healing Properties

Like all gemstones, rare and common alike, painite can function as a healing stone. Like other red gemstones, painite stone benefits include increasing passion, vitality, and motivation.

Painite crystals with a brown undertone bring in the benefits of brown gemstones, such as grounding and stability. Additionally, painite is said to help you leave behind habits or thought patterns that no longer serve you.

What is painite used for in chakra healing? Painite is a chakra stone for all seven chakras (energy centers) along your body. That means instead of using it to just target a specific chakra blockage, you can use painite to open and align all the chakras, bringing greater balance and energy flow throughout your body, mind, and spirit.

Shifting from the crystal healing realm back to the gemology sphere, how do you know an individual painite’s value? We’ll tell you next!

Painite Gemstone Properties

Though rarity is the number-one price factor, other properties contributing to painite’s value are its color, cut, clarity, and carat weight.

Color

Painite is a red stone, though raw crystals may appear pink due to pink rubies growing on the stone. Brown and orange are possible undertones, with orange-brown being the rarest painite color. The stone’s coloring is caused by chromium and vanadium impurities.

Some painites may be a dark enough shade of red to appear almost black. The best painites have deep red or vibrant garnet-red hues.

Cut

Facetable painite crystals are scarce, and among the small amount out there, the majority have lots of inclusions and fractures. That means despite painite’s potential for gemstone greatness — good durability, sparkle, and coloring — it’s extremely difficult to facet.

Usually, trying to navigate the fragile areas results in gem cutters making shallow, less attractive faceted cuts. That said, these rarities still command top-dollar prices. Some of the faceted painites out there have cushion, oval, rectangle step, and square corner cuts.

Clarity

Clarity describes the amount of visible inclusions in a gem. Good clarity is more important in transparent painites with bright enough coloring to allow light through, as inclusions will alter the stone’s appearance to the naked eye.

Hexagonal, tabular phlogopite crystals are a common inclusion in painite, along with feather-like inclusions and thin sheets within tiny cavities.

Having lots of inclusions can lower a painite’s durability as well. The most valuable painites will be eye-clean, meaning they lack visible inclusions to the naked eye.

Carat Weight & Size

Painite crystals can grow to large sizes. The largest currently known painite specimen clocks in at 213.52 carats (42.7 grams), according to the Guinness World Records as of March 2020.

Another impressively large specimen reported in 2006 weighs an impressive 3,165 carats (633 grams), though it also has rubies on it.

Nevertheless, most painite crystals are small and/or fragmented shards.

Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Painite Formation & Sources

Painite forms inside metamorphic rocks called skarn (a.k.a. tactites), which are coarse-grained stones often filled with minerals containing calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, aluminum, and silica.

Miners typically find painite rough within gem gravels, where minerals wash down from forests and settle into river beds.

Other gems found near painite include phlogopite, spinel, and corundum (sapphire & ruby). You’ll often find painite formed near or even on top of ruby.

Where can painite be found? Painite only comes from one nation: Myanmar. The original discovery happened in Ohngaing in the Mogok Valley of the Mandalay Region. Since 2002, more localities in Myanmar have popped up, such as:

Kyauk-Pyat-That in Mogok Township
Baw-lon-gyi (Big Ball) in Mogok Township
Ye-aye in Mogok Township
Namyazeik in Kachin State

Now, the million-dollar question on everyone’s minds: how much does a painite cost?

Painite Price & Value

Before the more recent locales in Myanmar were discovered, almost all painites were owned by private entities, namely museums, non-profit gemology research labs, and universities. The new locales finally introduced painite to the public market, albeit in small amounts for top-dollar prices.

Currently, the painite price per gram for gemstones is $250,000 to $300,000 per gram. For those who measure in carats, that’s $50,000 to $60,000 per carat. However, increasing availability (albeit a small increase) means you may find some faceted painites for around $800 to $6,000 per carat.

Tiny raw painite crystals (uncut) are significantly lower in price, usually around $0.60-$15 per carat if they’re not gem-quality.

With an investment like that, you’ll want to know how to take care of your painite gem.

Painite Care and Maintenance

Although painite’s cleavage is absent and hardness is high, the common presence of abundant inclusions and fractures in many specimens makes it vulnerable to breakage. That’s why proper gemstone care is crucial.

Given the stone’s rarity and price point, it may be in your best interest to take your painite to a certified gemologist so they can determine your specific painite’s fragility. Though painite jewelry is uncommon, we recommend protective settings for vulnerable options like a painite ring.

If you don’t want to take it to a professional cleaner, you can safely clean painite at home. Make a mixture of lukewarm water and mild soap, then dip a soft toothbrush in the solution. Gently scrub the stone, rinse away soap residue, and dry it with a soft, microfiber cloth.

Pining for Painite?

You don’t have to be a gem and mineral collector to appreciate the beauty and allure behind painite, a stone dubbed the “holy grail of rare gemstones” by some. If you’re looking for a truly one-of-a-kind gemstone as rare and special as you, painite may just be the perfect choice for you!

Buy painite gemstones today!

Rare Gemstones

Il existe des pierres précieuses qui poussent abondamment dans le monde, notamment des diamants et des saphirs. À l'autre extrémité du spectre se trouvent les pierres précieuses les plus rares au monde. Nous croiriez-vous si nous vous disions qu'il y a moins de 25 pierres précieuses dans le monde? Il est difficile de croire que quelque chose d'aussi rare et insaisissable pourrait attirer une attention massive, mais c'est exactement l'histoire de Painite.

La rareté de cette nouveauté a attiré l'attention du monde entier en 2005 lorsqu'elle a été nommée pierre précieuse la plus rare au monde par le Livre Guinness des records.

D'accord, nous l'avons fait clair: Painite est l'une des pierres précieuses les plus rares au monde, mais pourquoi? Continuez à lire pendant que nous examinons la valeur, le prix et les détails qui font de la painite une pierre précieuse vraiment rare.

Comment se forme Painite?

Painite vient exclusivement du Myanmar. Ce n'est qu'en 1957 que les gemmologues l'ont découvert et intronisé en tant qu'espèce de pierres précieuses. De 1957 à 2001, seuls deux autres cristaux de painite ont été découverts. Lorsque nous utilisons le terme «rare» dans le monde des pierres précieuses, la painite est un excellent exemple.

Depuis 2001 et au-delà, des milliers de fragments de cristaux de painite ont fait surface, mais il y a une mise en garde. Pour qu'un cristal soit considéré comme une pierre précieuse, il doit être à facettes. En d'autres termes, les spécimens bruts sont coupés par les lapidaires en pierres précieuses telles que nous les connaissons. Dans le cas du painite, tout ce matériau brut est essentiellement inutilisable.

Pour la plupart, la painite semble être la pierre précieuse parfaite. Il est durable, classé 8 sur l'échelle de dureté Mohs, a une couleur rouge foncé riche et présente une brillance rayonnante. Bottom line: painite en fait une magnifique pierre précieuse. Donc quel est le problème? La majorité du painite rugueux présente des inclusions profondes et des fractures. Lorsque les tailleurs de pierres précieuses créent des pierres précieuses, ils coupent généralement toutes les inclusions et travaillent avec la partie la plus propre du matériau. Parce que le painite est très imparfait, il y a peu de matériel avec lequel travailler.

Malgré ces inclusions et fractures profondes, lorsqu'un lapidaire expert met la main sur un brut douloureux, le résultat est l'un des bijoux les plus rares que vous trouverez jamais.

Pourquoi Painite est-il si rare?

L'une des principales raisons pour lesquelles le painite est l'une des pierres précieuses les plus rares au monde est qu'il provient exclusivement d'une région - le Myanmar. La plupart des ébauches de painite de qualité gemme proviennent de graviers de la région de Mogok. Et le painite n'est qu'un joyau qui éblouit les lits des rivières; d'autres incluent des saphirs scintillants, des spinelles et des rubis.

Combien de painites existe-t-il dans le monde? Il y a moins de 20 ans, il n'y avait que trois cristaux de painite connus dans le monde entier. Des deux premières découvertes de painite en 1957 à la quatrième découverte en 2001, les gemmologues et les mineurs ont intensifié leur recherche de cette pierre semi-précieuse et ultra-rare. Ce n'est qu'en 2005 que les travailleurs ont percuté un affleurement contenant des milliers de spécimens de painite.

Si des milliers ont été trouvés, pourquoi le painite reste-t-il si rare? En fin de compte, les caractéristiques uniques du painite le rendent extrêmement rare.

Caractéristiques et comment identifier Painite

Il y a deux éléments chimiques qui joignent rarement leurs forces dans la nature: le bore, un élément céleste vivant à la fois dans l'espace et la croûte terrestre, et le zirconium, un métal de transition. La juxtaposition de ces deux éléments aboutit à l'une des pierres précieuses les plus rares au monde: le painite.

Et ce n'est pas la seule caractéristique unique de ce bijou rare. La couleur du painite est d'un brun rougeâtre profond et saisissant. La couleur et la densité ou la densité de la pierre précieuse s'alignent étroitement sur les rubis . Certaines variétés de painite ont en fait été identifiées à tort comme des grenats ou des rubis.

Bien sûr, les éléments chimiques, la biréfringence et l'indice de réfraction séparent le painite des pierres précieuses similaires. Il n'est pas toujours facile de savoir identifier une pierre précieuse painite. Il existe de nombreuses variables impliquées, et lorsqu'une ou plusieurs sont désactivées, une pierre précieuse peut être mal identifiée. Tel est le cas pour le painite. En fait, le Natural History Museum de Londres a exposé une pierre brune de tourmaline qui s'est avérée plus tard être un painite! Maintenant, les deux premières pierres précieuses découvertes brillent de l'intérieur du même musée.

Il faut un œil hautement qualifié et un examen approfondi pour identifier un painite. Le facteur clé est de rechercher les facteurs distinctifs qui le séparent du rubis, du spinelle, de l'almandine ou du grenat. Painite a des inclusions ressemblant à des plumes, une structure cristalline hexagonale et présente un fort dichroïsme ou multicoloration.

Une autre différenciation est que la painite a un indice de réfraction de 1,78-1,82, tandis que les rubis sont de 1,76-1,77. Ces chiffres numériques peuvent ne pas sembler radicalement différents, cependant, l'indice de réfraction est l'un des détails les plus vitaux lors de l'identification d'un échantillon inconnu. L'indice de réfraction indique la façon dont la lumière passe d'un milieu (comme l'air) à un autre (la pierre précieuse).

Nous avons couvert toutes les caractéristiques uniques de painite, ce qui conduit à une question importante: quelle est la valeur de painite par carat?

Prix Painite par carat

La vérité est que vous n'obtiendrez probablement pas un painite de haute qualité à moins d'être collectionneur ou prêt à payer des milliers de dollars. Les petits cristaux de painite de mauvaise qualité sont abondants. Cependant, ces pierres de mauvaise qualité ne sont pas aussi attrayantes ou souhaitables que les cristaux de qualité gemme. Pourtant, si vous voulez tenir une des pierres précieuses les plus rares au monde dans votre main, vous pouvez aller chercher des cristaux de painite bon marché pour 30 $ US et plus.

Si vous voulez acheter de la painite rare et de qualité gemme, vous pouvez vous attendre à payer une petite fortune. Les meilleurs cristaux de painite se vendent jusqu'à 60 000 $ USD par carat. C'est beaucoup d'argent pour une minuscule pierre précieuse, mais il se trouve que c'est l'une des plus rares au monde.

Une autre option consiste à acheter du painite birman brut, qui coûte environ 1 000 USD. Il est indéniable que le painite est l'une des pierres précieuses les plus rares au monde, et les collectionneurs paieront le prix fort pour en mettre la main.

Il y a moins de pierres précieuses aussi rares que la painite, ce qui la rend digne d'être l'une des pierres précieuses les plus rares au monde!