mineral specimens
rare minerals
mineral dealer
systematic minerals
Black Hills minerals
fine minerals
mineral dealer
Dana minerals
IMA minerals
mineral collections
rock and minerals
gem crystal
0 item @ $0.00  

Mineralpedia Details for Bavenite

Reset

Bavenite

Bavenite

Named for the type locality at Baveno in the Seula mine in Piedmont, Italy. Bavenite is an uncommon mineral that occurs “as druses in miarolitic cavities in granite and associated pegmatites, formed by the alteration of beryl and other beryllium-bearing minerals, [and] also in hydrothermal veins and skarn.” Localities include in, additionally, the Czech Republic, Norway, Switzerland, the United States, Australia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and a number of others. Bavenite is weakly piezoelectric and generates a charge in response to pressure.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/bavenite.pdf

Formula
Ca4Be2Al2Si9O26(OH)2 
Crystal System
Orthorhombic 
Crystal Habit
Lamellar, Massive - Lamellar, Radial 
Cleavage
Perfect, Fair, None 
Luster
Vitreous - Pearly 
Color
white, green, pink, brown 
Streak
white 
Class
Orthorhombic - Pyramidal 
Fracture
Uneven 
Hardness
5.5 
WebMineral
View Bavenite 
Mindat
View Bavenite 

Bavenite from Foote mine, Cleveland Co., North Carolina, United States

Bavenite
            from Foote mine, Cleveland Co., North Carolina, United States

Bavenite is chiefly a pegmatitic mineral mostly because this is where the most beryllium minerals are found. Although it is also found in skarns and hydrothermal veins. This specimen contains numerous snow white sprays of bladed Bavenite crystals to 1mm scattered amongst Albite crystals and what I believe to be Switzerite (golden brown).

Click thumbnail images for larger view.

Bavenite from Londonderry Lithium deposit, Western Australia, Australia

Bavenite
            from Londonderry Lithium deposit, Western Australia, Australia

Pearly thin plates radiating along cleavelandite Albite fractures.

Click thumbnail images for larger view.

Bavenite from Prehnitinsel, Kratzenberg, Habach valley, Salzburg, Austria

Bavenite
            from Prehnitinsel, Kratzenberg, Habach valley, Salzburg, Austria

Rich specimen with fibrous-looking but brittle, acicular and bladed crystals to 1mm good visible areas all about colorless  or white tabular Prehnite crystals.

Click thumbnail images for larger view.

Bavenite from Nordre Boksjø quarry, Idd, Halden, Østfold, Norway

Bavenite
            from Nordre Boksjø quarry, Idd, Halden, Østfold, Norway

Rich specimen of tiny white pearly plates to 0.5mm on corroded. Ex. Claus Hedegaard collection (see prov. tab).

Click thumbnail images for larger view.

Bavenite from Ermakovskoe Be deposit, Buryatia, Siberia, Russia

Bavenite
            from Ermakovskoe Be deposit, Buryatia, Siberia, Russia

Beautiful pearly white, bladed divergent groups of Bavenite to 5mm.

Click thumbnail images for larger view.

All photos by Dakota Matrix and are Copyrighted © and may not be used without permission. Copyright © 2025 - Dakota Matrix Minerals, Inc. Privacy | Terms & Conditions | Site Map