Datolite is one of those minerals that tends to stop people mid scroll. From soft crystal forms to dense nodules pulled from copper rich rock, this stone carries a layered story shaped by chemistry, structure, and texture. Its range of color, unusual growth habits, and ties to classic mineral specimens give it a quiet complexity that feels understated yet memorable. Once you notice datolite, it rarely fades into the background again. To learn more about it, this guide will talk about Datolite much in detail.
Datolite meaning
Emotional awareness: Datolite is often connected with emotional awareness and inner reflection. It may relate to noticing personal feelings as they surface and allowing space for emotional honesty without pressure. This association is commonly described as calm and observant, focusing on awareness rather than change.
Mental clarity: Datolite is frequently linked with mental clarity and clearer thoughts. It may be viewed as a stone that supports organized thinking and a sense of mental order. This meaning is often described as subtle and quiet, centering on clarity without forcing outcomes.
Personal truth: Datolite is commonly associated with personal truth and self understanding. It may relate to recognizing personal values and internal perspectives in a natural way. This meaning is often framed as inward focused and reflective, allowing thoughts to feel more transparent.
Emotional release: Datolite is sometimes connected with emotional release and softer transitions. It may be associated with letting emotional weight loosen over time rather than through effort. This meaning is often described as slow and natural, emphasizing ease and emotional flow.
Datolite spiritual meaning
Datolite is often connected with inner awareness and subtle perception that develops naturally over time. It may be viewed as a stone linked to recognizing emotional and spiritual layers as they surface, without pressure to define or change them. This meaning is commonly described as inward focused and reflective, centering on awareness, acceptance, and a quiet sense of personal understanding that unfolds at its own pace.
Where is Datolite found?
North America: Datolite is found in several well known regions of the United States, especially within historic copper deposits. In Michigan, for instance, datolite occurs in the Copper Country region near Lake Superior, including classic material from the Quincy Mine, where it appears as nodules, massive stone, and crystal forms associated with native copper. Additional localities are known in New Jersey and Massachusetts, where datolite forms as a secondary mineral in mafic igneous rock, often alongside quartz, calcite, prehnite, epidote, and danburite.
Europe: In Europe, datolite is closely linked to Norway, particularly the Arendal region in Aust-Agder. This area is historically important and connected to early mineral information documented by Jens Esmark after the mineral was named in 1806. Datolite from this region is known for prismatic crystals, granular masses, and varied textures formed through hydrothermal processes within copper rich rock.
Russia: Some of the most recognized datolite mineral specimens come from Dalnegorsk. In this region, datolite occurs in veins and massive deposits, often forming colorless, gray, yellow, or light yellow crystals. These deposits are associated with complex mineral systems and low temperature hydrothermal activity.
Other regions: Datolite is also found in South Africa, notably at the Wessels Mine within the Kalahari Manganese Fields, where it forms globular and botryoidal textures. Smaller occurrences are reported in other copper bearing regions worldwide, where the mineral crystallizes within mafic igneous environments and copper deposits.
Is it rare?
Datolite is generally considered uncommon rather than widespread. It may appear regularly in certain well known mineral districts, yet overall availability tends to be limited compared to many common minerals. Quality specimens with good crystal form or color may be harder to find, while more basic material is seen less often in the broader market.
Datolite price
The prices for datolite vary based on size, quality and form. Small rough pieces, for instance, often range from about $10 to $30 each, while larger or more attractive specimens can range from about $40 to $100. Well shaped crystals or display pieces may range from about $100 to $300 or more depending on their appearance and size. Museum quality or rare examples can reach higher values, sometimes in the range of a few hundred to over a thousand dollars for exceptional pieces. These ranges reflect general market patterns for datolite material.
What is Datolite?
Datolite is a boron bearing mineral that forms as both crystal and massive stone, often developing through low temperature hydrothermal processes. It is commonly described as a secondary mineral in mafic igneous rock and copper rich systems, where it crystallizes within veins, cavities, and altered rock. Datolite may appear as prismatic crystals, rounded nodules, globular masses, granular aggregates, or botryoidal surfaces, with textures that range from compact to coarse grain.
Color varies widely and may include colorless, gray, white, yellow, light yellow, pink, or pale green tones, sometimes appearing translucent and other times opaque. The mineral has a hardness around 5.5, a noticeable mass for its size, and a specific gravity that reflects its dense structure. Datolite contains boron and hydroxide as key components, giving it distinct physical properties compared to similar stones.
Its crystal structure allows datolite to form clean faces as well as massive or nodule based varieties that measure several centimeters across. Surfaces may take a polish, making it appealing for mineral specimens and display pieces rather than jewelry use. Datolite is often found alongside minerals such as quartz, calcite, prehnite, epidote, danburite, and native copper, which highlights its role within complex mineral systems and evolving rock textures.
Datolite properties
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Mineral class | Borosilicate mineral |
| Chemical composition | Calcium boron silicate hydroxide |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Crystal habit | Prismatic crystals, massive, nodular, botryoidal, granular |
| Color | Colorless, white, gray, yellow, light yellow, pink, pale green |
| Luster | Vitreous to dull |
| Transparency | Transparent to opaque |
| Hardness | 5.0–5.5 on the Mohs scale |
| Cleavage | Distinct in one direction |
| Fracture | Uneven to conchoidal |
| Specific gravity | Approximately 2.9–3.0 |
| Streak | White |
| Texture | Compact, granular, globular, massive |
