The facts
What brookite actually is
Brookite is classified as rutile group polymorph, with the composition TiO₂. It crystallises in the orthorhombic system.
Colour comes from fe and Nb traces; reddish-brown to black with submetallic to adamantine lustre, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 2.583–2.741. Specific gravity around 4.08–4.18. Cleavage: indistinct {120}. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where brookite comes from
Brookite is produced at Magnet Cove, Hot Spring County, Arkansas, USA, Kharan, Balochistan, Pakistan, Prenteg, Gwynedd, Wales and Cavradi, Switzerland.
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 brookite is treated
Untreated. Bladed Pakistani crystals on quartz and albite are the standard collector form; faceted brookite essentially does not exist in commerce.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What brookite is confused with
In the trade brookite is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Anatase, Rutile, Ilmenite or Hematite blades.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 2.583–2.741 and specific gravity 4.08–4.18 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What brookite is used for
Demand for brookite 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 5.5–6; cleavage indistinct {120}. 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 brookite costs
As a guide, brookite trades around Pakistani and Arkansas specimens $40–$2,000.
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 brookite treated, and how?
Untreated. Bladed Pakistani crystals on quartz and albite are the standard collector form; faceted brookite essentially does not exist in commerce.
Where does brookite come from?
Magnet Cove, Hot Spring County, Arkansas, USA, Kharan, Balochistan, Pakistan, Prenteg, Gwynedd, Wales and Cavradi, Switzerland. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is brookite hard enough to wear every day?
Yes. At 5.5–6 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 brookite cost?
Indicatively Pakistani and Arkansas specimens $40–$2,000. 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 brookite confused with?
Most often Anatase, Rutile, Ilmenite and Hematite blades. A refractive index of 2.583–2.741 and a specific gravity near 4.08–4.18 separate it quickly.
Related stones
Looking for brookite?
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 brookite