painite

For many years, only three small painite crystals were known to exist.

Originally few of the known painite specimens were privately owned.

More recently, painite specimens have been discovered at a new location in northern Myanmar.

It is believed that further excavations in this area will yield more painite crystals.

Painite was discovered in 1956 in Ohngaing in Myanmar.

In 2005 painite was described by the Guinness Book of World Records as the rarest gem mineral on earth.

There was also a fruitless three-year hunt on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido for the rarest of the rare, red painite.

The chemical makeup of painite contains calcium, zirconium, boron, aluminium and oxygen (CaZrAlO(BO)).

Extensive exploration in the Mogok region has identified several new painite occurrences that have been vigorously explored resulting in several thousand new painite specimens.