Astrophyllite

Astrophyllite is a very rare potassium, iron, titanium, manganese, sodium, silicate mineral. It crystallizes in the form of fine-bladed crystals that sometimes display a “starburst” aggregate. It was originally discovered in 1844 in Laven Island, Norway by Paul Christian Weibye. After that, it wasn’t officially welcomed into the scientific community until 10 years later, when Carl Johan August Theodor Scheerer officially named it “Astrophyllite”. He chose this in reference to its physical characteristics as well as the Greek words “Astron” and “Phyllon”, meaning “star” and “leaf”. Astrophyllite can only be found in a few countries worldwide, with the majority of specimens coming out of Russia, Greenland, China, Norway, and the United States.