| Sinhalite | |
| Imasymbol: | Shl[1] |
| Color: | White, gray, grayish-blue, pale to dark brown, yellow, yellowish-brown, greenish-brown, green, brownish-pink, pale pink |
| Habit: | Grains, rolled pebbles, irregular masses. Rarely euhedral crystals. |
| Cleavage: | None |
| Fracture: | Conchoidal |
| Mohs: | -7 |
| Streak: | White |
| Diaphaneity: | Transparent, translucent |
| Gravity: | 3.46 to 3.50 |
| Density: | 3.475-3.5 |
| Opticalprop: | Biaxial (-) |
| Refractive: | 1.665 to 1.712 |
| Birefringence: | 0.036 to 0.042 |
| Pleochroism: | Trichroism: green, light brown, dark brown |
| 2V: | 56° |
| Dispersion: | 0.018 |
| Fluorescence: | None |
Sinhalite is a borate mineral with formula MgAl(BO4).[2]
Sinhalite was first found in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) in 1952, and was named from Sinhala - the Sanskrit name for Sri Lanka.[3]
Gemstone quality Sinhalite can also be found in Madagascar, Tanzania and Myanmar (Burma). The most commonly seen color of Sinhalite are white to gray, grayish-blue or a shade of brown ranging from pale to dark. Pale pink and brownish pink crystals can be found in Tanzania.