Itacolumite

What itacolumite actually is

The species behind itacolumite is a porous quartzite or micaceous sandstone whose interlocking grains have enough space to hinge, so thin slabs genuinely bend, Quartz SiO2 with muscovite, and in some occurrences accessory kyanite and rutile; it forms in the aggregate (trigonal quartz) system.

Essentially colourless to pale grey and cream; the interest is mechanical, not optical is responsible for the colour — and the chromophore, not the name, is what decides whether a colour is stable.

On the instruments it reads a refractive index of 1.544-1.553 and a specific gravity of about 2.30-2.65 (low, because of porosity), with none cleavage.

Where itacolumite comes from

Commercial material comes from Itacolomi Peak, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil - the type locality, Kaliana, Haryana, India, Stokes and Surry Counties, North Carolina, USA and Georgia, USA; Karelia, Russia.

Different localities give different colour and different clarity, and the trade prices them differently. We state which one.

How itacolumite is treated

Untreated. The flexibility is real and repeatable: a slab roughly 30 cm long and 1 cm thick will visibly sag under its own weight. It has no jewellery use at all - it is a curiosity and teaching specimen, and that is the honest framing. Brazil restricts fossil and some mineral exports, though itacolumite is not generally caught by those rules. Not CITES.

We state the treatment on every stone, including when the honest answer is that it cannot be determined. A treatment disclosed is a fact; a treatment discovered later is a refund.

What itacolumite is confused with

Watch for Ordinary quartzite and sandstone, Mica schist and Faked 'bending stone' made from resin composites — these are what turn up sold under this name.

The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.544-1.553 and specific gravity 2.30-2.65 (low, because of porosity) settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.

What itacolumite is used for

The trades that buy itacolumite are mineral collecting and decorative objects. They do not want the same thing, and they do not pay in the same unit.

We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen or by the piece.

Durability and care

Itacolumite is 6-7 on the Mohs scale, with none cleavage.

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 itacolumite costs

Expect roughly $20-150 per demonstration slab depending on size and how well it flexes, depending on quality.

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.

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