On this page
UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural inorganic gem materials · Mineral species · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Brazilianite
The name listed in GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.1; the English name Brazilianite does not guarantee a Brazilian origin. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Brazilianite forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify BrazilianiteHow far lab testing can go and whether a synthetic exists
- Caring for and wearing BrazilianiteCleaning, heat, chemicals and light, as the cited sources give them; durability indicators and wearing advice
- Hardness, density and refractive index of BrazilianiteEach value with its source and check date
- Brazilianite in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Which of GIA, FTC, CIBJO and Gem-A have a name for it on record, and do those agree?
- Name origin and history of BrazilianiteWhere the name comes from
- Listing and disclosing BrazilianiteThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define BrazilianiteWhich clause defines it, each cross-checked
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
Brazilianite, NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4, is a monoclinic hydrated phosphate species. It forms hydrothermally in the phosphate-rich portions of granite pegmatites and also appears in metamorphosed sedimentary deposits; Minas Gerais, Brazil, is where it was first found, and the country supplies its name.
Scope: Applies to the genesis and occurrence of natural brazilianite as a hydrated phosphate mineral species; does not cover synthetics or artificial imitations.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Where it forms
Phosphate-rich zones of granite pegmatites (hydrothermal), and metamorphosed sedimentary deposits
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Associated minerals (Córrego Frio mine, Brazil): muscovite, albite, apatite, tourmaline
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
How it forms, step by step
A granite pegmatite fractionates, and residual melt/fluids become enriched in sodium, aluminium and phosphate.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Hydrothermal precipitation in the phosphate-rich zones of the pegmatite crystallises brazilianite.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Crystals are typically equant or spearhead-shaped (elongated along [100]), and may also be radial fibrous or globular.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Brazilianite occurs with muscovite, albite, apatite, tourmaline and other minerals.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Link to appearance
Brazilianite is chartreuse-yellow, pale yellow or yellow-green, and colourless in transmitted light; it has a white streak, vitreous lustre and is biaxial positive. Its appearance is consistent with its hydrated aluminium-phosphate composition and its hydrothermal, pegmatitic origin.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Timescale
The source states no absolute geological timescale for brazilianite formation.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Supporting findings
Brazilianite is of hydrothermal origin, forming in the phosphate-rich portions of granite pegmatites, and it also appears in metamorphosed sedimentary deposits.
Evidence grade BScope: Describes the natural formation mode of brazilianite.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Brazilianite is associated with muscovite, albite, apatite, tourmaline and other minerals.
Evidence grade BScope: Describes the mineral association.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Recorded localities
Authoritative sources list the localities below; the list is not exhaustive.
North America
- Palermo #1 mine, North Groton, New Hampshire, United States
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
South America
- Córrego Frio mine, Linópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Sources Mindat: Brazilianite
- Conselheiro Pena pegmatite district, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Sources Mindat: Brazilianite · Handbook of Mineralogy
- El Quemado mining district, La Poma, Salta, Argentina
Sources Mindat: Brazilianite
Oceania
- Mt Wills mining district, Victoria, Australia
Sources Mindat: Brazilianite
These are localities recorded by authoritative sources, not an origin finding for any individual piece. The CIBJO Gemstone Book (2022, §4.2.3) says a place of origin names where a gem was mined or harvested, is a matter of opinion, does not imply a level of quality, and that cutting, processing or exporting centres must not be used to imply origin. See how far testing can go on this page, the origin determination guide and the overview of recorded localities.
Where the name comes from
Brazilianite was named after Brazil, the nation where the mineral was first discovered.
Evidence grade BScope: Etymology explains the origin of the name only; it does not establish the material's composition, locality, naturalness, or treatment.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Other research findings
Brazilianite is a monoclinic hydrated phosphate species with ideal composition NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4.
Evidence grade BScope: Species-level composition and crystal-system fact.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Brazilianite is chartreuse-yellow, pale yellow and yellow-green; colourless in transmitted light, with vitreous lustre.
Evidence grade BScope: Describes colour and lustre only; no colour mechanism.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- The source is a mineralogical data sheet and gives no absolute geological timescale for brazilianite formation.
- The source gives no colour mechanism for brazilianite.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Brazilianite
GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.1 “Brazilianite” · IMA Mineral List 2026-07 “Brazilianite”
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
Brazilianite is Brazilianite; use "Brazilianite" for listings, and disclose any known treatments.
Evidence
- GB/T · Table A.1, row 磷铝钠石 (Brazilianite)
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Brazilianite" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Care and wear
Normal care for every gemstone (CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.1), in brief:
- Handle it gently.
- Store pieces apart when not worn, so they cannot scratch each other.
- Clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush.
- Use ultrasonic cleaners only with caution.
The §6.1 wording and the full list of §6.2 special-care letters cited on this page are on the general gem care page.
Care
Brazilianite — care (cleaning): Some stones are susceptible to damage from ultrasonic cleaning. Do not expose them to ultrasonic cleaning.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code j
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §8 Annex C, Brazilianite, p.37; §6.2 j (locator checked 2026-09-25)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Brazilianite — care (wear): cleaves or fractures easily or is brittle (e.g. rubbed facet edges); wear with care.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code b
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §8 Annex C, Brazilianite, p.37; §6.2 b (locator checked 2026-09-25)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Common care questions and matching entries
Brazilianite must not be cleaned ultrasonically, and this cleaning conclusion applies regardless of treatment status; Brazilianite cleaves or fractures easily, so wear it with care, and this wearing conclusion likewise applies regardless of treatment status. Both care conclusions come from the entry for Brazilianite in the CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (2022).
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Question | Matching entries |
|---|---|
| Can it go in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner? | care (cleaning) |
| Wearing limits (knocks, settings) | cleaves or fractures easily or is brittle (e.g. rubbed facet edges); wear with care |
Durability and wearing
Toughness
Brittle
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Standard and listing namesThe Chinese standard name for Brazilianite comes from GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.1, and the suggested listing name is Brazilianite. Trade and mineralogical namesBoth the mineralogical name and the English name are Brazilianite. Names in four languagesNames are registered in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Brazilianite) and Japanese; the wording used by the GSJ (Japan) for the Japanese name is not yet verified by this site, and the entry's own Japanese name is shown. Institution usageOf GIA, FTC, CIBJO and Gem-A, this site records only the CIBJO wording, Brazilianite (CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024); the FTC text on file has no wording for this name (checked); GIA and Gem-A are unchecked. Bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, Brazilianite, which does not represent their position.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- ブラジリアナイト (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- Chinese formal name
- 磷铝钠石 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.1)
- Mineralogical name
- Brazilianite
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 磷铝钠石
- 繁體中文
- 磷鋁鈉石
- English
- Brazilianite
- 日本語
- ブラジリアナイト
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Browsing family
- Phosphate minerals
- Identity tier
- Mineral species
- Mineral chemical class
- Phosphates
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
What it is and how it's identified
Registered material facts for Brazilianite: composition NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4, phase brazilianite; the structure is crystalline, monoclinic, with a granular or short prismatic crystal habit; Mohs hardness 5–6, with one direction of moderate cleavage, and the site notes that hardness alone is not enough to judge durability; density 2.94–3 g/cm³, where the site notes that the cited clause gives 2.97 with a permitted tolerance of ±0.03, from which the displayed limits are derived; refractive index 1.599–1.624, where the site notes that the cited clause gives 1.602–1.621 with a permitted tolerance of ±0.003, from which the displayed limits are derived; birefringence 0.019–0.021; optical character anisotropic, biaxial, positive; transparency transparent to translucent; untreated Brazilianite has a vitreous lustre and weak pleochroism in yellowish green and green.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Definition
Brazilianite — nomenclature status: IMA status G: grandfathered (described before the IMA existed, and generally regarded as a valid species).
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Brazilianite — composition (chemistry): NaAl3 (PO4) 2 (OH) 4
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Brazilianite — composition (phase): brazilianite
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Structure
Brazilianite — structure (overall): crystalline
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Brazilianite — structure (crystal system): monoclinic
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Brazilianite — structure (crystal habit): granular or plate-column
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Durability
Brazilianite — Mohs hardness: 5–6
GB/T 16553—2017
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- General note
- hardness only, not durability
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Brazilianite — cleavage: moderate in one direction
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Physical properties
Brazilianite — density: 2.94–3 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 2.97, with a stated tolerance of ±0.03. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Optical
Brazilianite — optic character: biaxial, optically positive (anisotropic)
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Brazilianite — refractive index: 1.599–1.624
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 1.602–1.621, with a stated tolerance of ±0.003. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Brazilianite — birefringence: 0.019–0.021
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Brazilianite — transparency: transparent to translucent.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Brazilianite — pleochroism: weak, yellow-green and green
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Brazilianite — fluorescence (overall): none
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Brazilianite — spectrum (UV-visible): non-characteristic
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Brazilianite — spectrum (infrared): In the mid-IR, brazilianite shows its own diagnostic bands.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Brazilianite — magnification: gas-liquid inclusions, mineral inclusions, growth striations, visible doubling of facet edges (birefringence).
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
body colour2 sources compared
Brazilianite — body colour: yellowish green to greenish yellow, rarely colourless.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Qualification
In chapter 7 of the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book, the colour descriptions of Euclase, Chrysoprase, Demantoid and other entries also name green or a greenish colour.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Brazilianite — body colour: yellow-green to green-yellow, colorless (rare)
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
In chapter 5 of GB/T 16553—2017, the colour entries of Euclase, Kornerupine, Celestite / Celestine and other variety clauses also name green or a greenish colour.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
How the sources relate
- CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 and GB/T 16553—2017
The two entries agree: yellowish green to greenish yellow, and both note that colourless is rare.
Quality factors
Brazilianite — quality factor (lustre): vitreous
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.43 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.611 / 2.97; Closest values: 1Amblygonite 1.607 / 3.02, 2Dolomite 1.624 / 3.03, 3Chlorite 1.629 / 3, 4Prehnite 1.625 / 2.88, 5Dushan Yu / Dushan Jade 1.63 / 2.9
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Testing and market
The tests the CIBJO laboratory protocol requires for Brazilianite, and what each test method covers, are given in the protocol table on the laboratory testing page. There is no synthetic Brazilianite on the market.
The tests the CIBJO laboratory protocol requires for this material, and what each method means, are in the protocol table on the laboratory testing page: §6.1.14.
How far testing can go
Brazilianite — synthetic counterpart on the market: No synthetic counterpart of this material is commercially available
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Clause-level definitions
Brazilianite is defined directly in the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 under the term Brazilianite; the definition summary is the mineral species brazilianite, IMA status G, with the CIBJO wording quoted in full under Clause-level definitions on this page; the cross-check result is defined directly by CIBJO, also appearing in the GB/T annex. Brazilianite also has an entry in the IMA mineral list, under the term Brazilianite, with the definition recorded as Brazilianite NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4, IMA status G, 1945; it is cross-checked against the RRUFF/IMA mineral list master table, using public-domain data.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazilianite | 7.2.1.34 | yellowish green to greenish yellow, rarely colourless, transparent to translucent | Defined directly by CIBJO; also present in the GB/T annex. |
| Brazilianite | IMA Mineral List entry | Brazilianite NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4 G 1945 | Cross-checked against the RRUFF/IMA master mineral list (public domain data). |
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. Gemmological Laboratories Book (Blue Book), Gemmological Commission 2024-1.
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. The Gemstone Book (Blue Book), 2022.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- RRUFF Project, in partnership with the IMA – International Mineralogical Association. IMA Mineral List.
- Geological Survey of Japan, AIST (Japan). Museum mineral specimens, browse by classification.
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Phosphate minerals | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Brazilianite entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original; clause-level definitions also carry a cross-check result. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.