Charoite with Tinaksite

specimen number:
2072106

location:
Sirenevyi Kamen, Murun massif, Yakutia, Siberia, Russia

description:
An attractive cut and polished all around sample of charoite, this with tinaksite.

The Sirenevyi Kamen (Purple Stone) deposit is the world's only known source of charoite, located in the remote Murun Massif near the Chara River in the Sakha Republic of Siberia, Russia. Geologically, this site is a unique alkaline igneous complex where a rare form of potassium-rich metasomatism occurred approximately 135 to 145 million years ago. Charoite formed when hot, chemically active fluids from the cooling Murun intrusion reacted with local limestone and shale under high-pressure conditions, resulting in a complex rock composed of silicate minerals that has not been replicated anywhere else on Earth. Historically, the deposit was first discovered in the 1940s during a Soviet geological survey, though the mineral was not officially described or named until 1978.

For mineral collectors and lapidaries, charoite is prized for its spectacular swirling, fibrous, or "chatoyant" textures and its vibrant range of colors from lavender to deep violet. It is almost always found in a massive form as a rock called charoitite, often featuring striking inclusions of dark green aegirine, orange tinaksite, and honey-yellow canasite. Due to its extreme isolation in the Siberian wilderness and the harsh climate that limits mining to a few months of the year, high-grade specimens remain relatively scarce. The Russian government strictly regulates the export of charoite, further cementing its status as one of the most exotic and sought-after decorative stones in the international market.

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