Gemstone Glossary

Axinite is another rare and unusual gemstone that is not normally worn as jewelry but is a “must have” among collectors as no collection will be really complete without one. The name Axinite is from the Greek acine (meaning “axe”) for the axe-like shape of the original crystal formations. Primarily reddish brown, Axinite can also occur in yellow, yellow-orange, light blue, violet, gray and even black.



Axinite is composed of several different ions (Ca2 (Mn, Fe, Mg) Al2 (BO3OH)(SiO3) 4) and is actually a series name for a group of four related minerals. All have the same structure but are different in terms of chemistry. They are named for their respective enrichment in iron, magnesium and manganese; or iron manganese intermediate - tinzenite. The minerals differ slightly in color and specific gravity. Ferro-Axinite is rich in iron and reddish brown to black in color with an average Specific Gravity of 3.31, while Magnesio-Axinite, is magnesium rich, pale blue to gray in color and has an average Specific Gravity of 3.18. Manganaxinite is manganese rich, yellow-orange in color, with a Specific Gravity of 3.32, while Tinzenite is iron and manganese intermediate, predominantly yellow, with a Specific Gravity of 3.37.

Manganaxinite found at Franklin, New Jersey has an attractive yellow-orange color and a red fluorescence, a special characteristic that is not seen in the other Axinites.

Despite the differences, most collectors refer to any of them as simply Axinite. Good specimens of Axinite can have an extraordinary color and crystal habit and a nice luster that make them popular for collectors that like a different kind of crystal shape.