Michigan Datolite

Those of you that read this blog know that I love greenstones, although there are many other wonderful gem stones I have discovered in Michigan on my adventures. Some might think that Datolite is much like turquoise but isn’t; it’s a calcium boron hydroxide nesosilicate or CaBSiO4(OH). I have found many great pieces as well in the Keweenaw Peninsula as I hunt for rare piece for my jewelry.

In my belief datolite is so wonderful because it comes in more colors and are much more appealing than turquoise. Datolite is so much rarer than turquoise and actually in the current market only slightly higher in price. Also some of the better colors are never found in today’s market. It won't be long before these gems from the Keweenaw Peninsula are out of reach for the common person.

One of the best mines to look for datolite is the Delaware mine in Upper Michigan near the town of Delaware which is basically a ghost town now. This gem is hard to discover because Datolite will look basically like a very small piece of cauliflower or if you are lucky a large piece of cauliflower. Chances are you will not see the wonderful color of that datolite gem until you cut it open. Sometimes looking very very close to the ground after a rain can also bring some datolite to light.

So if the weather is nice or even better just after a gentle rain, go look for some datolite. I assure you it will be fun. I hope these pictures will help inspire you to look for these wonderful gems.