Sillimanite Beads

Sillimanite is the state mineral of Delaware, and yet this is a stone that few people have ever encountered on the gemstone market. First described in Connecticut in 1824, Sillimanite is named for famed 19th century American chemist Benjamin Silliman. Black sillimanite has a gray hue, but stones are also found in other colors such as highly-prized blue and green.

Sillimanite is an aluminosilicate and closely related to both kyanite and andalusite. Sillimanite is sometimes called fibrolite because of its inner chatoyant fibrous appearance that is especially obvious in cut slices. Sillimanite is found all over the world, including in the US, many European countries, Brazil, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, and in India.

Metaphysically, sillimanite is said to aid wearers in overcoming obstacles and completing tasks.