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Sphene, also known as titanite, is a rare calcium titanium silicate mineral prized for its exceptional brilliance and fire, often exceeding that of diamonds, and is characterized by its wedge-shaped crystals derived from the Greek word "sphenos". It exhibits a wide range of colors, including yellow, green, brown, red, orange, pink, and black, with green and yellow-green varieties often being the most valuable due to their rarity and appeal.

Key Characteristics and Properties:

• Chemical Composition:

  A calcium titanium silicate (CaTiSiO5) with trace impurities of iron and aluminum, and sometimes rare earth metals.

• Appearance:

  Crystals are typically wedge-shaped and can be found in various colors, with a resinous to adamantine luster.

• Dispersion:

  Sphene has a very high dispersion (0.051), meaning it significantly refracts white light into spectral colors, creating a brilliant "fire".

• Hardness:

  It is relatively soft, scoring 5.0-5.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it somewhat fragile for everyday wear without careful setting.

• Transparency:

  Jewelry-grade sphene is transparent, though it can also occur as opaque or translucent specimens.

• Trichroism/Color Change:

  Some specimens can exhibit dichroism or even trichroism, displaying different colors when viewed from different angles. Rare specimens may even show color change under different lighting conditions.