Serandite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
To date, only one locality — Mont St. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada — has produced facetable serandite. These extremely rare gems are very small and usually cut from less than transparent crystal fragments.
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To date, only one locality — Mont St. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada — has produced facetable serandite. These extremely rare gems are very small and usually cut from less than transparent crystal fragments.
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Comments
Serandite (formerly spelled "sérandite") forms a mineral series with pectolite. Serandite is the manganese (Mn) end member, while pectolite is the calcium (Ca) end member. Of the two, serandite is the rarest by far.
Identifying Characteristics
The refractive indices (RI) of the pectolite-serandite series vary with the presence of Ca and Mn.
Schizolite (formerly "marshallsussmanite") is an intermediate member of this series.
Synthetics
Scientists have synthesized serandites for research purposes. However, there's no known jewelry use for this material.
Enhancements
No known gemstone treatments or enhancements.
Sources
Although serandite occurs in numerous locales across the globe, it remains a rare mineral. Only Mont St. Hilaire in Quebec, Canada has produced cuttable material, but even large crystals found here seldom have transparent, facetable areas.
Rouma Isle, Los Islands, Guinea is the type locality for this mineral.
Other sources include the following locations:
- United States: Arkansas; California; New Mexico.
- Japan; Russia; South Africa.
Stone Sizes
Cut serandites very rarely weigh more than 2-3 carats. In fact, faceted gems of any size are very rare.
- Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC): 2+ (Quebec).
- Private Collection: 5+ (flawed).
- National Museums of Canada (Ottawa, Ontario): 18.65, 2.8 (translucent).
Care
You're more likely to find serandites, if at all, in mineral collections than jewelry collections. With a hardness of 4.5 to 5.5 and perfect cleavage, this gem would require protective jewelry settings to reduce the risk of scratches and blows. Reserve this rare gem for occasional wear or for earrings, brooches, or other pieces less subject to impacts.
Clean these gems only with a soft brush, mild detergent, and warm water. Consult our gemstone jewelry cleaning guide for more care recommendations.
Joel E. Arem, Ph.D., FGA
Dr. Joel E. Arem has more than 60 years of experience in the world of gems and minerals. After obtaining his Ph.D. in Mineralogy from Harvard University, he has published numerous books that are still among the most widely used references and guidebooks on crystals, gems and minerals in the world.
Co-founder and President of numerous organizations, Dr. Arem has enjoyed a lifelong career in mineralogy and gemology. He has been a Smithsonian scientist and Curator, a consultant to many well-known companies and institutions, and a prolific author and speaker. Although his main activities have been as a gem cutter and dealer, his focus has always been education.
International Gem Society
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