The facts
What dravite actually is
Dravite is classified as dravite (tourmaline supergroup), with the composition NaMg₃Al₆(BO₃)₃Si₆O₁₈(OH)₃(OH). It crystallises in the trigonal system.
Colour comes from fe³⁺ and Ti giving brown to yellow-brown; Mg-rich end member, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.610–1.640. Specific gravity around 3.03–3.15. Cleavage: indistinct. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where dravite comes from
Dravite is produced at Drava (Drau) region, Carinthia, Austria (type locality), Yinnietharra, Western Australia, Morogoro, Tanzania and Kenya.
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 dravite is treated
Heated to lighten dark brown to golden or yellow, which is standard and undetectable. Yellow 'canary' dravite from Tanzania is often heated.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What dravite is confused with
In the trade dravite is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Andalusite, Hessonite, Brown zircon, Sphene or Smoky quartz.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.610–1.640 and specific gravity 3.03–3.15 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What dravite is used for
Demand for dravite comes from jewellery, mineral collecting and carving and sculpture, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the carat, by the specimen or by the block.
Durability and care
Hardness 7–7.5; cleavage indistinct. 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 dravite costs
As a guide, dravite trades around $10–200/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 dravite treated, and how?
Heated to lighten dark brown to golden or yellow, which is standard and undetectable. Yellow 'canary' dravite from Tanzania is often heated.
Where does dravite come from?
Drava (Drau) region, Carinthia, Austria (type locality), Yinnietharra, Western Australia, Morogoro, Tanzania and Kenya. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is dravite 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 dravite cost?
Indicatively $10–200/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 dravite confused with?
Most often Andalusite, Hessonite, Brown zircon, Sphene and Smoky quartz. A refractive index of 1.610–1.640 and a specific gravity near 3.03–3.15 separate it quickly.
What is dravite used for besides jewellery?
mineral collecting and carving and sculpture. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for dravite?
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 dravite