Euxenite-(Y) from Evje, Norway – Dark Crystal with Strong Luster

This Euxenite-(Y) from Evje, Norway shows a dark brown to nearly black crystal with strikingly lustrous surfaces. Several flat to slightly irregular crystal faces strongly reflect the light and give the small specimen a distinctive appearance despite its compact size.

The crystal measures approximately 1.5 × 1.0 × 0.6 cm and weighs 3.5 g. Several clearly separated crystal faces are visible, particularly on the main display side. Some of these surfaces show an intense luster that can appear almost metallic under direct illumination, while other areas are more irregular and less reflective.

Dark Euxenite-(Y) with strongly lustrous crystal faces

The coloration ranges from very dark brown to black. Depending on the viewing and lighting angle, individual crystal faces produce particularly strong reflections. The crystal is compact and somewhat irregular in overall form, but several distinct crystallographic surfaces are clearly visible.

The three photographs show the specimen from different angles. The first view emphasizes the most strongly lustrous surfaces, while the other perspectives reveal more structured and irregular parts of the crystal.

Euxenite-(Y) from the Evje pegmatite region

The area around Evje and Iveland in Agder is one of Norway’s classic pegmatite regions. Numerous rare minerals are known from the granitic pegmatites of this district, including Euxenite-(Y).

Euxenite-(Y) is a complex oxide containing elements such as yttrium, niobium and titanium, together with other elements in variable proportions. It is characteristic of geochemically evolved pegmatites and is considerably less common in the mineral trade than many of the more familiar pegmatite minerals.

This small specimen combines the typical very dark coloration of Euxenite-(Y) with several distinctly lustrous crystal faces and comes from a classic Norwegian pegmatite region.