Kyanite Gemstone a Beginning

Kyanite as an alternative to sapphire shows the same deep crystal blues with brilliant lustre that makes both gemstones some of the most extravagant and sought after crystals in fashion.

From the Greek word “Kyanos” – which means of blue colour, this precious gemstone was named in 1789 by the German geologist Abraham Gottlob Werner, a geologist and famed teacher who taught talented students from across Europe.

Forming under high temperature and pressure in metamorphic rock, and famous for being found in the rock bed deep underneath Manhattan island, kyanite shows peculiar differences in hardness across it’s crystal planes as well as a cat’s eye chatoyancy that draws gaze deep into the blue serenity of this beautiful crystal.

Origins of a Kyanite Gemstone

Following the passage of time across Earth’s geological ages, multitudes of great continents and oceans have formed together then rifted apart, riding upon the trapped heat of the core that is slowly released from the centre of our world.

One of the most famous of these previous continents is the so called “super” continent Pangaea, a vast hemisphere spanning land mass covering the Earths surface that existed over 300 million years ago.

In the early formation of Pangaea the core geological “craton” of Laurentia – which is the stable body of continent that forms most of present North America, rode across the planet from a position on the Equator ever Northwards.

As Laurentia travelled North it merged together with the ancient micro continent “Avalonia” and the Northern European landmass “Baltica”, forming what would later be the first building block of a supercontinent that would exist for over 160 million years.

The merging of these massive Northern American landmasses took place under tremendous energies, leading to great masses of rock being pressed downwards into the Earth where tremendous heat and pressure altered the original minerals.

The bedrock underlying Manhattan, and that rises to the surface in some rock outcrops of Central Park, carry the indicators of this ancient exchange in the form of kyanite crystals which can be found within them, a beautiful crystal remnant of an ancient upheaval.

Structure of Kyanite

Comprised of aluminium, silicon and oxygen – an aluminosilicate, kyanite forms naturally in aluminium rich rock at high pressures, and is used as a geological index to determine the history of temperature and pressure the parent rock has been exposed to.

Forming long columnar crystals of strong blue colours to colourless and blue tinged brown, and even green varieties, kyanite is found where rocks have been exposed to extreme pressures – typically in “regional” metamorphism that has accompanied continental shifts across geological time.

Kyanite exhibits strong anisotropism – with the crystal exhibiting different properties in different directions, the most noted of which is two different hardnesses along and across the axes of the crystal, that vary from 5.5 to 7 on the moh’s scale and make this a gemstone that is difficult to cut.

Asides from the famous and sought after deep blue colouring Kyanite also displays strong changes in colour when viewed from different angles, ranging from deep blue to blue and then colourless – a display of “pleochroism” where light is absorbed differently as it passes from one axes to the next.

Lesser seen is a “chatoyancy” or cat’s eye effect that appears in gemstones with fibrous qualities or aligned rutile inclusions.

The chatoyancy of gemstones is caused by reflected light being reflected more strongly against the lengths of the fibres or aligned rutile inclusions, and is the same as the effect seen in a reel of silk and polished hardwoods.

Cat’s eye gemstones reflect light very strongly in the direction perpendicular to their long axes, producing a line of light that is better known in tiger’s eye crystal, beryl and aquamarine.

Kyanite Gemstone a Short History

Found across the world where metamorphic rocks have been exposed enough for people to find them, Kyanite was first identified as a unique gemstone by the geologist Abraham Gottlob Werner.

Born into a mining family in the 18th century Abraham developed an interest in studious classification of minerals and would later publish the first text on physical traits of minerals in 1774.

Claiming fame as a teacher of geology his teaching style drew students of mineralogy across Europe, many of whom would later send him minerals to be identified.

He would later name Kyanite from the word of “Kyanos” which is the Greek word for blue in 1789.

Fashion of Kyanite

With a colouring like the blue of a sapphire, Kyanite in the form of faceted gemstones is a sought after crystal that possesses a deep lustred colour on par with any other precious stone and a perfect match for elegant and beautiful fashion wear.

With deep blue like colours being the most sought after, as with it’s more famous precious gemstone equivalent, kyanite is often cut into larger carat gemstones and mounted with silver and gold surrounds in simple pendant necklaces and earrings.

Best worn in stronger light where the blue colours are more apparent, though faceted kyanite rings do exist due to the ease of which kyanite is fractured, and the softer than usual hardness along one crystal axis, rings are not seen as often as well secured pendant pieces.

Our YAN Jewelry Kyanite Gemstone

Softer in texture our kyanite beads are treated with resin to aid in milling and polishing, our beads are of natural colour and not artificially enhanced, showing cat’s eye chatoyancy and a range of famed blue colours varying from deep to light intensity.

Natural veining of mineral inclusions in our lighter kyanite beads are well matched to the ocean concept theme, carrying feelings of rolling blue sea and peaceful in projection of natural energy.

These lighter blue beads are well matched to the kunzite crystal that clearly varies in colour along it’s axes, flashing pink violet bursts that act to soften the transition from opaque blue to clear crystal, likewise aiding in the incorporation of lotus pendants and other light silver adornments.

Upon first glance the lighter kyanite beads may lack some of the deep sapphire blues of our other pieces but upon gazing into the crystal a wealth of inner beauty and detail give great depth to the viewer.

Kyanite cabochons and beads are rich in deeper colour and lend great depth to design, lighter rutile inclusions, texturing of colour and visible sheen of light from cat’s eye create rich tapestry of living blue colour that bring life into our designs.

Kyanite Gemstone Summation

Nature bestows the growth of each kyanite crystal with a unique detail that differs from each and every bead, carefully choosing the spread of colours across the piece creates necklaces and bracelets that are full of energy and a sum beauty greater than any individual gemstone.

Though each of YAN jewelry designs is crafted independently with love of vibrancy and life, the deeper regal blues in our single loop kyanite and amber bracelet piece stand against other designs in moody deep blues that are very evocative of feeling.

Kyanite is a gemstone very suitable for matching between light and dark colours and differences in textures, matched with yellow amber with bright vitreous lustre and simple colour, the white sheen of chatoyancy and fibrous character of the crystal act to bridge the differences in colour and produce a stunning design in the above photos.

Our designs featuring kyanite gemstones and shown in the photos above can be seen under our our beautiful kyanite necklace and bracelet collection here, while ocean concepts with natural blue coloured gemstones are also in store.

Kyanite is a crystal formed deep under the Earth under tremendous pressure, a gemstone of the deep world underneath us that has marked the formation of the great continents of our world in their slow and massive evolution.

As a gemstone of the deep each kyanite crystal with deep blue colour and fascinating further detail carries with it a rich sensual display of tone and quality that mark this gemstone as a special addition to the world of fashion and designer jewelry.