What is Bustamite?
Bustamite is a manganese-rich silicate related to the pyroxenoid minerals. Its rose, pink and brown colours can make it attractive as a collector specimen and ornamental material.
Mineralogy and structure
The ideal formula is CaMnSi2O6. Bustamite crystallises in the triclinic system and has hardness around 5.5-6. Its composition may vary toward related manganese pyroxenoids.
Colour and appearance
Colours range from pale pink and rose red to brown, grey and reddish brown. Crystals may be prismatic, but granular and massive aggregates in a calcite-rich matrix are common.
Formation and localities
Bustamite forms in metamorphosed manganese ores and skarns, often with rhodonite, tephroite, willemite, andradite, calcite and barite. Classic material comes from Franklin, New Jersey, as well as Mexico, Australia, Russia and Japan.
Collecting and care
The pink colour and association are useful clues, but related manganese silicates can be similar. Record the locality and matrix, and protect polished surfaces from scratching.
Bustamite and zodiac signs
Some modern crystal guides associate Bustamite with Taurus or Libra because of its pink colour and ornamental character. This is symbolic rather than scientific.
Symbolic and esoteric associations
Esoteric writing may use bustamite as a symbol of warmth, balance and the meeting of stone and metal. These meanings are personal or cultural.
