Friedelite Gemstone: Properties, Meanings, Value & More

Friedelite (pronounced FREE-deh-lyte) is a pink to brown manganese mineral. It’s not well-known among the public, but collectors prize it as a rare mineral.

As a gemstone, friedelite is even rarer. Given its low durability and the scarcity of facetable material, faceted friedelite gemstones are quite hard to come by.

Despite its scarcity and lesser-known status, friedelite is a gorgeous crystal with warm hues evocative of sweet candies on an autumn day.

Today, we here at Gem Rock Auctions have harnessed our decades of experience in the gemstone industry to put together this comprehensive guide to all things friedelite gemstones. Get ready to learn all of friedelite’s properties, uses, history, prices, and more!

Pictured above: Small brown friedelite crystals on host matrix from Franklin, New Jersey, USA; Richard A. Kosnar Collection | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

About Friedelite Stone

Friedelite is a soft, pink to brown mineral occasionally used as a semi-precious gemstone. The stone’s name honors the French mineralogist Charles Friedel.

Friedelite has not been synthesized or used industrially.

However, some notable studies feature friedlite:

• Stone decay in 18th century monuments due to iron corrosion. The Royal Palace, Madrid (Spain) (2002) — Friedelite & vivianite as a type of slag found in the iron streaks of stone from Madrid’s 18th-century Palacio Real (Royal Palace)

• Mineralogy of low grade metamorphosed manganese sediments of the Urals: Petrological and geological applications (2015) — Friedelite as one of the key minerals for indicating low grade metamorphism in the Ural manganese sediments

• Spectral studies of Mn2+ in friedelite (1987) — Insights into the spectral bands of friedelite at low temperatures and room temperatures

• The pyrosmalite group of minerals. II. The layer structure of mcgillite and friedelite (1983) — High-resolution transmission electron-microscopy (HRTEM) used to differentiate friedelite from Mcgillite by friedelite’s disordered, diffuse monoclinic X-ray reflections

You don’t need to comb through all the academic literature to find out friedelite’s mineral traits, though — we have you covered!

Friedelite Specifications & Characteristics

Friedelite is a manganese silicate hydroxide mineral. The official friedelite formula approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) is Mn2+8Si6O15(OH)10 but it’s also sometimes written as Mn2+8Si6O15(OH,Cl)10 or (Mn,Fe)8Si6O18(OH,CI)4·3H2O to account for common impurities.

The common impurities in friedelite include calcium, magnesium, chlorine, water, iron, zinc, and aluminum.

The mineral friedelite is in the pyrosmalite group as the manganese endmember. Other minerals in this group include mcgillite, nelenite, schallerite, pyrosmalite-(Mn), and pyrosmalite-(Fe). Friedelite is very similar to pyrosmalite-(Mn) which has the formula Mn2+8Si6O15(OH,Cl)10 and is trigonal.

Although crystals are rare, they form in tabular, acicular (needle-like), hemimorphic (different shapes at each end). Tabular crystals are often pseudo-hexagonal. More often, friedelite forms in stalactic, massive, fibrous aggregate, or lamellar aggregate habits.

Twinning is incredibly common in friedelite, usually with pseudorhombohedral symmetry on the {001} composition plane.

Here are friedelite’s properties listed:

• Mohs hardness: 4-5

• Color: Pink, orange-red, red, brownish-red, brown

• Crystal structure: Monoclinic

• Luster: Vitreous or pearly (sometimes vitreous but pearly on basal plane)

• Transparency: Transparent to opaque

• Refractive index: 1.620-1.664

• Density: 3.04-3.06

• Cleavage: Perfect on {0001}

• Fracture: Irregular/Uneven or subconchoidal

• Streak: White or pale rose

• Luminescence: Fluorescence sometimes present; Red or yellow in LW-UV & red or green in SW-UV

• Pleochroism: None

• Birefringence: 0.030-0.034

• Dispersion: None

Pictured above: Portrait of Emile Bertrand, the French mineralogist who first reported on friedelite, circa 1910 | Image credit: Public domain

Friedelite History

French mineralogist Emile Bertrand first reported on friedelite in 1876. He published his findings in the article “Sur un nouveau minéral des Pyrénees” (French for “On a new mineral from the Pyrenees”).

In the article, Bertrand described specimens from a manganese mine in Hautes-Pyrénées, France. The specimens were a shade of carmine pink darker than rhodonite and highly translucent with a pinkish-white streak. The specimens he analyzed formed as masses with a saccharoidal (sugar-like) texture made up of hexagonal lamellae or compact masses.

Bertrand named friedelite after French mineralogist & chemist Charles Friedel. Friedel was a Sorbonne chemistry professor famous for discovering the Friedel-Crafts chemical reactions with American chemist James Crafts. Friedel is also the father of famed mineralogist Georges Friedel, who created Friedel’s Law.

Later Friedelite Discoveries

After Bertrand’s report, friedelite was reported from Sweden, Austria, New Jersey (USA), and Kazakhstan (USSR) from the 1890s to 1960s. The only sources of any gem-quality friedelite were in New Jersey, reported from 1959 to 1979.

Over a century after the first discovery, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) reported in 1982 on the first gem-quality friedelite found outside New Jersey. The crystals were discovered by accident in 1980, found deep within a manganese mine in Kalahari, South Africa.

In the early 1900s, mineralogists originally classified friedelite in an eponymous friedelite group alongside pyrosmalite, schallerite, and molybdophyllite. It wasn’t until 1983 that mineralogists reclassified the pyrosmalite group.

Friedelite Healing Properties

As a commonly pink healing stone, friedelite’s meaning reflects that of other pink gemstones: love, acceptance, and romance. Astrologically, friedelite is beneficial to the fire signs: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.

Physical Healing

Physically, friedelite crystals are believed to treat issues related to:

• Heart

• Blood circulation

• Breathing

• Digestion

Emotional Healing

Emotionally, crystal healers may recommend friedelite for healing heartache, increasing self-love, and attracting healthy relationships both platonic and romantic.

Chakra Healing

Chakra healing is a process done to open blocked energy centers (chakras), restoring emotional, spiritual, and physical balance throughout your energy system. Friedelite is used as a heart chakra stone.

The heart chakra is in the middle of the lower and upper chakras. It governs acceptance, love, and compassion. You may need to open or balance your heart chakra if you feel low self-esteem, resentment, or cut off emotionally from others.

Pictured above: Close-up of sharp brown friedelite crystals on New Jersey host rock matrix | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Friedelite Gemstone Properties

Besides rarity, other factors that influence friedelite’s value as a gemstone include color, cut, clarity, transparency, and carat weight.

Color

The color of friedelite ranges from pale pink to red to brown. The best color for friedelite gemstones is a rich red or rose-red — these usually come from South Africa. New Jersey friedelite is usually deep brownish-red.

Cut

Given the rarity of facetable material, along with the low hardness and perfect cleavage, faceted friedelite gemstones are rare and valuable.

Usually, you’ll see friedelite cabochons (often set into pendants). The mineral is also sold rough (uncut).

Clarity & Transparency

Clarity describes the degree of visible inclusions in a gem, which can lower its transparency and value. The best friedelite gemstones are highly transparent, but most gem-quality crystals are translucent. Typically, the larger the friedelite, the lower its transparency. Massive friedelites may show white spots indicating carbonate mineralization.

Carat Weight & Size

Gem-quality friedelite ranges from 1 to 5 carats, but most faceted friedelites are under 2 carats. Cabochons can be much larger, up to 60 carats or so, but are more often opaque.

Friedelite Formation & Sources

Friedelite is a secondary mineral, meaning it forms when minerals already present in a rock (primary minerals) transform as the rock undergoes a transformation of its own. In this case, friedelite forms when manganese silicate minerals are metamorphosed from high pressure and high temperatures.

As such, friedelite is typically found in metamorphosed manganese deposits. Well-formed friedelite crystals are often found with barite or calcite. Other commonly associated minerals include:

• Willemite

• Franklinite

• Rhodochrosite

• Tephroite

• Tilasite

• Rhodonite

• Alabandite

• Chlorite

• Sphalerite

• Kutnohorite

• Andradite

• Hausmannite

• Chlorophoenicite

Next, let’s see where friedelite is found geographically.

Mining Locations

The two sources of gem-quality friedelite are South Africa and New Jersey (USA).

Attractive friedelite mineral specimens are also known from:

• Australia

• France

• Kazakhstan

• Sweden

Pictured above: Close-up of light yellow friedelite crystals and gem-quality willemite crystals on matrix from Franklin, New Jersey, USA | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Friedelite Price & Value

Friedelite gemstone prices range significantly, largely based on the transparency, cut, size, and color of the stone.

Faceted friedelite gemstones range from around $50 to $500 per carat, or $70 to $425 total — remember, most of them are under 1 carat so their per-carat rate will be higher.

Most friedelite cabochons are around $50, with cabochon necklaces ranging from about $190 to $275.

Rough friedelite ranges from around $5 to $10 for small, pale colored specimens or $50 to $100 for larger specimens mixed with better-known minerals.

Friedelite jewelry almost always features cabochons. These cabochons pendants go for about $200 to $275 while friedelite rings cost about $150.

Friedelite Care and Maintenance

Friedelite requires special care, given its low resistance to scratches and perfect cleavage (meaning a sharp blow will break it easily). Always use protective settings on friedelite jewelry, particularly rings.

Clean friedelite gently with warm water, mild soap, and a soft brush or microfiber cloth. Store the stone separately from other gems to avoid scratches.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is friedelite?

Friedelite is a manganese silicate mineral known for its softness, rich autumnal hues, and notable localities in New Jersey (USA) and South Africa.

What is the color of friedelite?

Friedelite gemstones are usually deep red, but the mineral can be light pink, rose red, orange-red, brownish-red, tan, or brown.

How do you identify friedelite?

Some identifiable properties of friedelite include its pale rose streak, hardness of 4 to 5 on the Mohs scale, crystal twinning with pseudorhombohedral symmetry, and monoclinic crystal structure. You may also see a shadow edge around 1.645 under the refractometer.

What is the hardness of friedelite?

Friedelite ranks at a 4 to 5 on the Mohs mineral hardness scale, similar to fluorite (4) and apatite (5).

Find the Friedelite for You!

Friedelite is a lesser-known mineral, but gazing into its translucent, glassy red glow long enough and you may just fall in love.

Buy friedelite and other unique gems today!