Sphene

Professor David and R. Priestley, the geologists of Shackleton's expedition, refer to Ferrar's and Prior's description of the foundation rocks, and state that according to their own investigations the foundation rocks consist of banded gneis, gneissic granite, grano-diorite, and diorite rich in sphene, besides coarse crystalline limestone as enclosures in the gneiss. ❋ Unknown (2009)

In addition to providing a ready means of identifying the diamond, a high degree of dispersion in a stone of pronounced color would lead one to consider sphene, demantoid garnet (if green), and zircon (which might be reddish, yellowish, brown, or of other colors), and if the stone did not agree with these in its other properties one should suspect _glass_. ❋ Frank Bertram Wade (N/A)

The rarer stones, sphene and epidote, likewise exhibit this property markedly. ❋ Frank Bertram Wade (N/A)

As they are both colored stones (sphene is usually yellowish, sometimes greenish or brown), the vividness of their color-play is much diminished by absorption of light within them. ❋ Frank Bertram Wade (N/A)

All the precious stones, except moonstone, opal and sphene, have at least the hardness of quartz, and can barely be scratched by metals, even by hard steel. ❋ Various (N/A)

Shackleton's expedition, refer to Ferrar's and Prior's description of the foundation rocks, and state that according to their own investigations the foundation rocks consist of banded gneiss, gneissic granite, grano-diorite, and diorite rich in sphene, besides coarse crystalline limestone as enclosures in the gneiss. ❋ Roald Amundsen (1900)

The proper minerals of titanium are rutile (TiO_ {2}), titaniferous iron (titanate of iron), and sphene (titanate and silicate of lime). ❋ Cornelius Beringer (1886)

_New violet schorl_, or _sphene_ of HAÜY, (_rayonnante en goutière_ of SAUSSURE) in the same place. ❋ Francis W. Blagdon (1798)

You can look into the stones with double refraction, like zircon and sphene, but they have Mohs scores of 7 and 5.5, so while they're very sparkly, they're not hard. ❋ MayNicholas (2010)

The sample in the photo is a mineral collector's specimen of titanite (or sphene). ❋ Unknown (2008)

Lapis lazuli (5), sphene (5), opal (6), moonstone (6), amazonite (6), turquoise (6), peridot (6-1/2), demantoid garnet (6-1/2) (the "olivine" of the trade), and jade (nephrite) (6-1/2), are all more or less attacked by a file. ❋ Frank Bertram Wade (N/A)

Ferrar’s and Prior’s description of the foundation rocks, and state that according to their own investigations the foundation rocks consist of banded gneiss, gneissic granite, grano-diorite, and diorite rich in sphene, besides coarse crystalline limestone as enclosures in the gneiss. ❋ Unknown (2003)

This would exclude very few stones of importance, _i.e. _, zircon, diamond, sphene, and demantoid garnet.) ❋ Frank Bertram Wade (N/A)