Howlite is a real mineral: a chalky white stone with fine gray veining. It takes dye easily, so much blue howlite is sold as imitation turquoise. The two are different stones with different lore, and natural howlite is the white one.
See it as
Borate (calcium borosilicate)
Howlite
Howlita
- Palette
- White Gray
- Mined in
- Canada, United States, Turkey
- Hardness
- Mohs 3.5 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- 1868
- Named for
- Henry How, the Canadian chemist who first described it
- Also sold as
- White turquoise (misleading), Turquenite (when dyed blue), Silicoborocalcite
- Intention
- Calm
- Looking for
- Calm Patience Rest and meditation Peace
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Howlite takes dye very easily. Blue and other bright-colored howlite beads are dyed, and the color can fade or rub off. Plain white howlite with gray veins is its natural look.
In our pieces · 2See the 2 pieces ↓
SILICOBOROCALCITE
Henry How first called his 1868 find silicoborocalcite, and James Dwight Dana renamed it howlite in his honor.
MORDENITE
Henry How also described the zeolite mordenite, in 1864, from the shores of the Bay of Fundy.
WHITE BUFFALO
Howlite is also sold as white turquoise, white buffalo turquoise and white buffalo stone.
What it is
A real mineral: a chalky white to pale gray stone with a fine web of gray or black veining. It takes dye readily, so much of it is colored blue and sold as imitation turquoise.
What gives it its color
Howlite is naturally white with gray or black veins, and its porous texture takes dye easily, so blue and other bright-colored beads get their color from dye.
Where it comes from
Howlite was first found near Windsor, Nova Scotia, and also comes from southern California (Tick Canyon and the Boron area), Nevada and Turkey.
In history
Howlite was discovered in 1868 in a gypsum quarry near Windsor, Nova Scotia, where miners found it a nuisance until chemist Henry How examined it. It was named in his honor, and its porous texture takes dye so readily that it is often colored to imitate turquoise.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, howlite is the stone people reach for to slow down. It is said to calm and soothe, to teach patience, and to help you feel connected to something larger. People link it to the crown of the head.
It is soft, so wear it with care. People hold it in the receiving hand, keep it in a meditation spot, or leave it on a bedside table or under the pillow for rest.
How people wear or keep it: By the bed, in a meditation spot, held in the hand, or as a necklace or earrings.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, howlite is paired with the crown chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: by the bed, in a meditation spot, held in the hand. People reach for it when they want calm, patience, rest and meditation, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraCrown
ZodiacGemini
ElementAir
Also calledWhite turquoise (misleading), Turquenite (when dyed blue), Silicoborocalcite
Care
- Soft and porous: avoid knocks and scratches from harder stones.
- Dyed beads can lose color with soaking, solvents and perfume.
- Clean with a soft dry cloth; no ultrasonic cleaners.
- Keep out of strong sun if dyed.
How to tell what you have
- Howlite is soft (Mohs 3.5) and lighter than turquoise, with gray or black veins that look drawn on when dyed. A cotton swab with nail polish remover picks up color from dyed beads; real turquoise does not.
- A very even, saturated blue strand at a low price is almost certainly dyed howlite, not turquoise.
What sets the price
Howlite is abundant and inexpensive, so strand price mostly follows bead size and shape.
Rules and sourcing
Howlite takes dye very easily, so blue and other bright beads are dyed, and the color can fade or rub off. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose dye; plain white howlite with gray veins is its natural look.
Questions people ask at our table
What is howlite?
A calcium borosilicate mineral found in 1868 near Windsor, Nova Scotia by Henry How, who called it silico-boro-calcite; James Dwight Dana later named it howlite.
Is blue howlite natural?
No. Natural howlite is white with gray veining. Blue, red, purple, yellow and green beads are dyed howlite, and blue-dyed stone is sold under the name turquenite.
Is dyed howlite turquoise?
No. Howlite is a borate with a Mohs hardness of 3.5, while turquoise is a copper phosphate at 5 to 6.
Will the color fade?
Natural white howlite is stable. Dyed color may transfer to acetone and can fade or rub off, so avoid solvents and soaking.
Where is it found?
Localities include Windsor and Iona in Nova Scotia, Canada, and Tick Canyon in California.
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