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Entry № 195

Franklinite

Franklinite

A black spinel from the strangest orebody in America.

Chakra

Root

Element

Earth · Fire

Zodiac

Capricorn · Scorpio

Franklinite

I. The Metaphysical Reading

How the stone has been held.

Franklinite is worked with as a stone of place, kept as a specimen by practitioners who honour the mineral history of a single valley. It is held as a reminder that some things are only made once, in one location on the planet, and are worth staying quiet about.

Chakra
Root
Element
Earth · Fire
Zodiac
Capricorn · Scorpio
Keynote
A black spinel from the strangest orebody in America.

II. The Scientific Reading

What the lattice actually does.

Franklinite is a member of the spinel group and the principal zinc-iron-manganese oxide ore of the Franklin–Sterling Hill mining district in Sussex County, New Jersey — a Precambrian metamorphosed carbonate deposit that has produced over 350 mineral species and around 90 species found nowhere else. It commonly occurs with red zincite and green willemite in white calcite marble.

Formula
(Zn,Mn²⁺,Fe²⁺)(Fe³⁺,Mn³⁺)₂O₄
System
Isometric (spinel group)
Hardness
5.5 – 6.5 (Mohs)
Provenance
USA — Franklin and Sterling Hill, New Jersey (essentially unique)

References & Sources

Independent mineralogical references used to verify the scientific details above.

Mineral Profile

Fact Sheet

Chemical Formula
(Zn,Mn²⁺,Fe²⁺)(Fe³⁺,Mn³⁺)₂O₄
Crystal System
Isometric (spinel group)
Mohs Hardness
5.5 – 6.5 (Mohs)
Density
5.07 – 5.22 g/cm³
Refractive Index
2.36 (opaque)
Provenance
USA — Franklin and Sterling Hill, New Jersey (essentially unique)
Color Origin
Iron-black octahedral crystals with a submetallic lustre, often on white calcite with red zincite

Related Crystals

Stones that share this lattice

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