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Linarite Gemstone: Properties, Meanings, Value & More

リナライト宝石：特性、意味、価値など

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Linarite is a beautiful bright blue gemstone mostly known among collectors for its stunning coloring and lesser-known status.

The stone is relatively rare as a mineral, but even rarer as a cut gemstone. Facetable rough is extremely difficult to find.

By appearance, the crystal is often mistaken for azurite. You can identify linarite vs azurite by azurite’s deeper blue color and reaction to a drop of 20 percent acetic acid — azurite fizzes, while linarite’s surface just turns white and doesn’t bubble.

What are the properties of linarite crystals? We’ll be answering that here as we go over all of linarite’s properties, benefits, history, prices, and more!

Image credit: Christian Rewitzer

About Linarite Stone

Linarite is a lesser-known, somewhat rare semi-precious gemstone previously known as:

• Cupreous anglesite (misnomer)

• Cupreous sulfate of lead

• Blue carbonate of copper (inaccurate)

• Plomb sulfaté cuprifère (French for “sulfated lead copper”)

Though collectors may be familiar with linarite’s bright azure blue coloring, most casual gem enthusiasts have probably never heard of it.

One exception, however, may be the owners of the racing horse Linarite, born from parents who also bear gem-related names: Mineshaft and Chrysolite.

Astrologically, linarite benefits Aquarius signs.

Linarite Specifications & Characteristics

First, what is linarite made of? Linarite is a copper lead sulfate hydroxide. The mineral’s formula can be written as PbCu(SO4)(OH)2 or CuPb(SO4)(OH)2.

Linarite is part of the linarite-chenite group alongside chenite, munakataite, schmiederite, and franksousaite. Franksousaite and linarite minerals are similar, as linarite is this stone’s sulfate analogue. All the minerals in this group are monoclinic except the triclinic chenite.

Though individual linarite crystals are prismatic, finding distinct crystals is difficult. Most often, linarite occurs as tiny, tabular or elongated crystals in crusts, clusters, or druzy.

Twinning is common for linarite on {100} and sometimes on {001}.

Linarite properties listed:

• Mohs hardness: 2.5

• Color: Deep azure blue, sometimes altered to slightly paler blue or green-blue

• Crystal structure: Monoclinic

• Luster: Vitreous or sub-adamantine

• Transparency: Translucent to transparent

• Refractive index: 1.809-1.859

• Density: 5.30-5.35

• Cleavage: Perfect on {100}, imperfect on {001}

• Fracture: Conchoidal

• Streak: Pale blue

• Luminescence: None

• Pleochroism: Present - pale blue to blue to Prussian-blue

• Birefringence: 0.050

• Dispersion: Strong

That covers mineralogy, so now we’ll shift into the metaphysical and historical side of linarite!

Pictured above: Dendritic linarite crystals on quartz matrix | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Linarite Meaning & History

Metaphysically, linarite symbolizes introspection, awareness, and awakening.

Spiritual practitioners recommend this stone for communicating with higher realms or powers and receiving divine wisdom to inform your personal path in life.

Linarite Discovery & Naming

The earliest written record of linarite is from English naturalist, mineralogist, and illustrator James Sowerby (not to be confused with British mineralogist and illustrator James De Carle Sowerby) in 1809. Sowerby called the stone “blue carbonate of copper.”

The first official description of the mineral came from English crystallographer Henry James Brooke in 1822. Working with Sowerby, Brooke analyzed specimens they’d found in Leadhills, a mining area in Scotland, UK. Brooke called the stone “cupreous sulfate or lead.”

Other names came along, like “Bleilasur” from German mineralogist August Breithaupt in 1823 and “Plomb sulfaté cuprifère” (French for “sulfated lead copper”) from French mineralogist Armand Lévy in 1837.

The name “linarite” came from German mineralogist, geologist and paleontologist Ernst Friedrich Glocker in 1839. He chose the name to honor the mineral’s type locality in Linares, Andalusia, Spain.

Blanchard Mine Discoveries

The first discovery of linarite in what is now one of the top sources, the Blanchard Mine of New Mexico, USA, happened over a century later.

In 1952, Robert H. Weber of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources (NMBGMR) made the first report of linarite found in the Hansonburg district.

However, three New Mexico Tech students introduced Blanchard Mine linarite to the public sphere when they brought altered galena crystals coated with linarite crystals to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in 1978.

In 1979, Brian Huntsman found some of the highest-quality linarite specimens, one of which was auctioned in 2013 for $158,500! Unfortunately, Huntsman wasn’t authorized to be down there, so his finds were confiscated and sent to various museums and collectors.

The third amazing find was in 1989, when unique linarite crystals coating (or partially altered to) malachite were found. Two of them, one collected by Huntsman and one by Robert Dickie, are on display at the NMBGMR Mineral Museum.

Linarite Healing Properties

As a blue healing stone, linarite’s metaphysical properties reflect that of other blue gemstones, facilitating higher intuition, serenity, and communication.

Physically, what are the benefits of linarite?

Physical Healing

Crystal healers recommend linarite for treating physical issues related to:

• Fatigue

• Soreness

• Throat pain

• Sexual dysfunction

• Hormone imbalance

Emotional Healing

Emotionally, linarite is believed to open your mind and heart to wisdom and vulnerability. Linarite crystals may help dispel fear, boost confidence, and calm inner chaos that prevents you from going after what you want with fervor.

Chakra Healing

Chakra healing involves opening energy centers (chakras) that are blocked. This blockage brings negative physical and emotional symptoms.

Linarite is a chakra stone for the throat chakra, located at… you guessed it, the throat. A blocked throat chakra can cause you to feel silenced, bottled-up, or scared of speaking up. Opening it with linarite can allow you to understand and express yourself more clearly.

Pictured above: Blue linarite crystals in quartz matrix vug | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Linarite Gemstone Properties

Besides rarity, linarite’s value depends on its color, cut, clarity, transparency, and carat weight.

Color

Linarite is prized for its deep azure blue color, so stones that have this color in a saturated form, evenly distributed throughout the crystal, are most valuable.

Some specimens have a paler color because the crystals are so small or they’ve been partially altered to another stone like malachite.

Cut

Unfortunately, facetable linarite rough is extremely rare, so faceted stones aren’t widely available. The great majority of linarite stones are sold rough (uncut).

Given the stone’s softness, most linarite cabochons are actually linarite in diopside, a harder stone.

Clarity & Transparency

Clarity is the degree of visible inclusions in a gem, which can affect its transparency and value. Most linarite crystals are included, and areas that aren’t are often too small to cut. Not to mention, most crystals have lots of internal fractures.

Larger stones with greater transparency are much more valuable.

Carat Weight & Size

Of the few faceted linarites out there, most are 0.5- to 1-carat. The only 2-carat faceted linarites have come from Grand Reef, Arizona, USA.

Even rough, large linarite crystals are quite valuable, given their rarity.

Pictured above: Linarite crystals on quartz matrix vug | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Linarite Formation & Sources

Linarite is a secondary mineral, meaning it forms when other minerals are altered by external or chemical forces. In this case, chalcopyrite, galena, and other copper sulfides are oxidized, transforming into linarite.

Sometimes, linarite itself will alter into antlerite or a combination of cerussite and malachite.

What type of rock is linarite found in? Linarite is found in the oxidation zones of lead-copper mineral deposits.

It’s usually associated with:

• Brochantite

• Anglesite

• Caledonite

• Leadhillite

• Cerussite

• Malachite

• Hemimorphite

Geographically, where is linarite found?

Mining Locations

Currently, the top sources of linarite crystals are in Scotland and the US states of Arizona and New Mexico.

Other significant sources include:

• Argentina

• Australia

• Canada

• Chile

• Germany

• Italy (Sardinia)

• Japan

• Namibia

• Peru

• Russia

• Spain

• UK (England, Wales)

• USA (California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Utah)

Now, how much is linarite worth?

Pictured above: Galena cube with coating of deep blue linarite | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Linarite Price & Value

Almost all the linarite items for sale you’ll find are rough crystals or mineral specimens. These items range broadly in price, based on size, color, and any other minerals present (linarite is often a coating or on a matrix with other minerals like azurite).

On the high end are large, bright blue, individual linarite crystals for $550 to $3,500. Other top-tier options are linarite specimens with other rare gems like azurite or caledonite, which can be $650 to $2,500, though the highest-tier specimens have auctioned for over $100,000.

On the lower end, you can find rough linarite specimens for as low as $5 to $10 each.

Linarite diopside cabochons range from around $5 to $300 or about $0.50 to $2 per carat. Chessylite balls or geodes containing linarite needles (along with goethite and quartz in many cases) are popular and range from about $20 to $200.

Before we wrap up, let’s discuss gemstone care.

Linarite Care and Maintenance

Given linarite’s softness and perfect cleavage, linarite jewelry is uncommon. If you do find some, be sure to get protective settings.

Be careful handling linarite to avoid scratches or breakage. You can clean it with mild soap, lukewarm water, and a soft, microfiber cloth.

Store linarite separately from other gems.

Feeling Right About Linarite?

Reflecting the depth of the ocean and the sky before sunrise, linarite’s deep blues offer calming, wondrous feelings of nature’s miracles. This crystal is perfect for any collector or gem lover awestruck by its rare, unique appearance.

Buy linarite and more lovely gemstones today!