The facts
What boracite actually is
Boracite is classified as boracite, with the composition Mg₃B₇O₁₃Cl. It crystallises in the orthorhombic (pseudocubic above 265 °C) system.
Colour comes from colourless to pale green, blue-green or grey; Fe and Mn substitution gives the greener tones, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.658–1.673. Specific gravity around 2.91–2.97. Cleavage: none; conchoidal fracture. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where boracite comes from
Boracite is produced at Stassfurt and Schildstein, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, Boulby Mine, North Yorkshire, England, Choctaw Salt Dome, Louisiana, USA and Luneburg, Germany.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How boracite is treated
Untreated. Unusually hard for a borate at Mohs 7–7.5 and pyroelectric; the pseudocubic crystals are a classic teaching example of a paraelectric-to-ferroelectric transition. Faceted stones are tiny and rare.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What boracite is confused with
In the trade boracite is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Quartz, Danburite, Fluorite or Olivine.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.658–1.673 and specific gravity 2.91–2.97 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What boracite is used for
Demand for boracite comes from mineral collecting, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen.
Durability and care
Hardness 7–7.5; cleavage none; conchoidal fracture. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
With no cleavage plane to worry about, the practical limit is abrasion rather than breakage, and it takes daily wear well.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What boracite costs
As a guide, boracite trades around Specimens $40–$1,000; faceted stones rare and small, $100–$400/ct.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is boracite treated, and how?
Untreated. Unusually hard for a borate at Mohs 7–7.5 and pyroelectric; the pseudocubic crystals are a classic teaching example of a paraelectric-to-ferroelectric transition. Faceted stones are tiny and rare.
Where does boracite come from?
Stassfurt and Schildstein, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, Boulby Mine, North Yorkshire, England, Choctaw Salt Dome, Louisiana, USA and Luneburg, Germany. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is boracite hard enough to wear every day?
Yes. At 7–7.5 on the Mohs scale with no cleavage plane, it handles daily wear well. The practical limit is gradual abrasion rather than chipping.
How much does boracite cost?
Indicatively Specimens $40–$1,000; faceted stones rare and small, $100–$400/ct. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is boracite confused with?
Most often Quartz, Danburite, Fluorite and Olivine. A refractive index of 1.658–1.673 and a specific gravity near 2.91–2.97 separate it quickly.
Related stones
Looking for boracite?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about boracite