Kyanite Visible Spectra (300 - 1500 nm)

The blue color of metamorphic kyanite comes from both the Fe2+ - Ti4+ and Fe2+- Fe3+ intervalence interactions. Deep blue crystals have larger amounts of the Fe2+ - Ti4+ intervalence interaction. The green color of kyanite from Dodoma, Tanzania comes from Fe3+. Both ferric iron green and a zone of blue intervanance charge transfer occurs in kyanite from Minas Gerais, Brazil.  Sky blue kyanite found in diamond pipes such as the Roberts Victor Mine in South Africa contains Cr3+.  Rare examples of Mn3+-containing orange kyanite are found in Loliondo, Tanzania..

Kyanite dominated by intervalence absorption

Chromium-containing kyanite

Orange manganase-containing kyanite


Link to a collection of references to mostly color and visible spectroscopy of kyanites


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last upgraded 7-July-2022