Originally posted on 01/02/2018 via speakingofwitchwands.net
By Isabella @TheWandCarver
Instagram: @thewandcarver
The only way to effectively write about this little beauty is to explain it as a whole, then break it down into each part to give you the metaphysical properties of this unusual, phenomenal crystal package, given us by Nature. So, we must talk a little science before we can get to the part where I tell you what it can do for you magickally. Bear with.
The combination of Rhyolite, Bixbyite, and Topaz is unusual because there appears to be only one place in the world where it hails from in this form, and this is from the Thomas Range, Juab County, Utah, United States. More specifically, it is from the Maynard Claim, named so after Maynard Bixby who discovered “Bixbyite” and “Bixbite”; Bixbite being an entirely different crystal from Bixbyite. Let me explain:
Bixbyite is a perfect, lustrous black, cubic crystal perched nicely atop quartz rhyolite matrix or in my case, a bit deeper at times. It is a manganese iron oxide mineral and the iron/manganese ratio are quite variable and many specimens have almost no iron. It is a metallic dark black with a Mohs hardness of 6.0 – 6.5. Typical localities are Jhabua and Chhindwara districts, India and the Thomas Range in Juab County, Utah. It is also reported from San Luis Potosi, Mexico; northern Patagonia, Argentina; Girona, Catalonia, Spain; Sweden and South Africa. Please note that the only place it is found in Rhyolite is in the Thomas Range, Utah.
Bixbite is now known as Red Beryl. It was first found in 1904 in the Maynard’s Claim, Thomas Range, Juab County, Utah, US. Red Beryl is very rare and has been reported only from a handful of locations: Juab County, Wah Wah Mountains, Beaver County, Utah; Paramount Canyon and Round Mountain, Sierra County, New Mexico, although the latter locality does not often produce gem grade stones. To my knowledge, Red Beryl/Bixbite in Rhyolite matrix is only found in US.
Bixbyite: black. Bixbite/Red Beryl: red.
But what is Rhyolite and why is it so special? Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock. During the late Cretaceous [100 – 65 mya] the younger ranges of the Rocky Mountains were created, and deep fractures appeared which reached deep into the crust. In course of volcanic activities [approx. 20 mya], five or more layers of volcanic topaz rhyolite lava flows covered areas in today’s Utah. Then hot fluorine and beryllium-rich gases and vapours, rising through shrinkage cracks of the cooled lava, met groundwater resources near the surface. The water evaporated and left behind niches or miarolitic cavities and porous areas in which the remaining steam could react under low pressure and high temperatures [300° – 650° C] with the rising mineral-rich gases so that red beryl crystals could grow. Not only do Red Beryl crystals grow in Rhyolite but also do Bixbyite and Topaz.
Topaz: The Thomas Range of western Utah is also one of the world’s best sources of topaz. Cavities in the Topaz Mountain Rhyolite often contain topaz crystals with a beautiful amber colour. Topaz crystals are also found in soils and dry washes around Topaz Mountain. These crystals are usually colourless because the amber colour can be lost through prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. A few specimens fade to a beautiful pink colour. Topaz is usually a naturally sherry “yellow” but comes in assorted colours only through heat or irradiation.
What does all of this combination mean for us in the magickal sense? Quite a lot! Bixbyite is a base/root, third eye, and crown chakra stone. It is fabulous at assisting us to open our psychic awareness, making us more intuitive and imaginative. It is also for anyone seeking to communicate with spirit – a remarkable helper in communicating with ancestors – and keeps a clear connection between the seeker and spirit. Rhyolite enhances self-esteem, self-worth, self-respect, and deepens the acceptance of our true self. It helps us to heal old emotional wounds and to deal with challenging circumstances calmly and with inner strength. It is used to aid communication with animals and the realm of Nature. Rhyolite is a heart chakra stone and is also good to use in seeking your spirit animal. Both Bixbyite and Rhyolite are good supporters of past-life regression…Bixbyite in getting you through those stages and Rhyolite helping you to accept and heal. Topaz is a solar plexus crystal, which as a combination of helpful chakra crystals, fits in wisely with Bixbyite and Rhyolite. Like with Rhyolite, Topaz inspires self-realisation and confidence as it imparts the strength to quieten wild emotions. Topaz is highly effective for affirmations and visualisation, meditation, and astral projection, and is an excellent talisman for discerning Divine wisdom and connecting to the heavenly realm.
I hope you’ve found something of help from this lovely combination. It has been a pleasure to share it with you. Many thanks for reading and warmest blessings x
Sources:
Encyclopaedia of Crystals, by Judy Hall
Encyclopaedia of Crystals, Revised and Expanded, by Judy Hall
http://www.realgems.org/list_of_gemstones/red_beryl_info.html
https://geology.com/gemstones/states/utah.shtml
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