Examples of typical habits of Bixbyite from the Thomas Range.
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Physical Properties:
Color: Black
Luster: Metallic
Hardness: 6 - 6.5
Specific Gravity: 4.5 - 5.5
Cleavage: Poor, actually quit brittle
Bixbyite occurs as perfect, shiny, cubic crystals often with modified corners and may be 0.5 inches (12 mm) or more ( mostly smaller). They are usually single crystals, but may form penetration twins of two or more crystals. At the Maynard Topaz Mine (Dana location) they occur mostly as perfect cubes, showing no modifications.
Bixbyite, a rare mineral, was discovered in the late 1890’s by Maynard Bixby, one of the early pioneers of the Thomas Range. Bixby reported the location as being about 35 miles southwest of Simpson Springs, in the southern end of the Dugway Mountains. Arthur Montgomery and Ed Over rediscovered the location in 1934, however, it was actually located in the east central part of the Thomas Range. The discrepancy was due to the fact that during Maynard Bixby’s day, parts of the present day Thomas Range were considered part of the Dugway Range. Bixby discovered several shiny black crystals perched on cavity walls and also on crystals of topaz but had no idea as to their identity. He sent several samples back East to his friend, A.E. Foote, another collector and mineral dealer. Foote, unable to identify the mineral, enlisted the help of Professor S. L. Penfield at Yale University. Penfield found them to be a totally new mineral species and in 1897, he and Foote named the mineral Bixbyite in Bixby’s honor. The site is now commercially mined for topaz and bixbyite and is known as the Maynard Topaz Mine, also in his honor.
Bixbyite usually occurs implanted on cavity walls, but may also occur in combination with topaz, red beryl, or garnet. Bixbyite up to 0.75 inches (18 mm) in size have been found in the northern end of the Thomas Range, however, in most other areas they seldom exceed 1/8" (3 mm) along a cuboid edge. The bixbyite crystals are often modified by the tetragonal trisoctahedron (211) and occasionally by the octahedron (111) or the dodecahedron (011).
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