Israeli mining company unearths rare mineral
- Published
The mineral's rarity will make gemstones pricey
A mineral - previously only known to exist in outer space - has been found on Earth by an Israeli mining company, .听
Carmeltazite聽was added to the official list of known minerals this week after聽being聽approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA).
Taub Avi, CEO of the precious stone exploration company Shefa Yamim, said it was discovered by the company in volcanic rock in northern Israel's Sevulun聽Valley.
The mineral was founded embedded in sapphire, the second hardest mineral聽after diamonds. The largest stone found so far is 33.3 carats.
It was named carmeltazite due to its discovery near Mount Carmel and the minerals it contains -聽titanium, aluminium and zirconium.听聽
Rare mineral
For a聽new mineral to be declared as such, its composition and聽crystal structure and properties must be聽substantially different from those of any existing mineral species, according to the聽IMA's Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names.
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Although the commission approves many new minerals a year, carmeltazite's approval has made the news in mainstream Israeli media and international publications due to its rarity.
The website mining.com said the discovery would make the mining company's gemstones "more valuable than they've ever been".
The company has already received a trademark from the Israeli government to market the stones as the Carmel Sapphire.
Haaretz newspaper said one could expect to "pay through the nose" for the new mineral should it ever enter the jewellery market.
"We are already working on the design," Mr Avi said. 聽
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