You might be familiar with Sapphires, rubies, emeralds, topaz, etc. but have you heard of Bytownite? Well, this article tells you all about this rare gemstone…

An explorer named T. Thomson found some material in a boulder, as far back as 1835, in a place called Bytown in Canada (today, it is called Ottawa). Curious, he placed it under his microscope and discovered that it was a mixture. It was he who gave this mineral its name—Bytownite.

More facts about this stone were discovered by G. Tschermak. This mineral was supposed to be between Anorthite and Labradorite. Thus, the name of Bytownite was adopted by petrologists, and it has remained the same till now.

To go into this gemstone in detail—

1. Bytownite belongs to the plagioclase feldspars family of gemstones; as a matter of fact, it is supposed to be their fifth member.

2. Considering that it has an unusual composition (minerals that can comprise anything from anorthite to pure albite), this stone is a rare find. Jewelers label it as one of the rarest of gemstones.

3. Should you notice any lime-rich igneous rocks in and around Mexico, Oregon, Canada, Scotland, and South Africa, you might find clear, tiny grains or crystals of Bytownite in them. These are yellow in color.

4. Should you find such a stone, you will need to take good care of it to retain its purity. Harsh chemicals will have adverse effects. So, warm water is to be used for cleaning Bytownite. Polishing is to be done with a clean and dry cloth.

In order to identify Bytownite, you would need to understand various physical characteristics, such as—

1. Color—can occur in all shades of white and gray, as well as pale yellow. The range can be quite vast. Some can even be colorless.

2. Specific gravity—can be anywhere between 2.75 to 2.76.

3. Hardness—ranges from 5.5 to 6.0; hence, the stone is quite delicate.

4. Refractive Index and density—approximately 1.575 to 1.585. It is the gradations of refraction and density that will help in identifying plagioclase feldspars, in the absence of optical measurements or chemical analysis.

5. Metamorphic complexes and intrusions—visible.

6. Cleavage—faultless. Absolutely perfect prisms of the right angle can be seen. The white streak is the result of minerals such as hornblende, biotite and pyroxenes. If simple grooves are also visible on the stone’s cleavage, they are due to the striations.

7. Crystals—result of twinning. Stacks of layers (small grains that occur in compact masses and gabbros) twin together; their thickness can range from mere fractions to several millimeters. This type of twinning is associated with pure albite. The result is crystals of grey or white, exhibiting striations.

8. Habits in crystals—tend to range from blocky to tabular. In case rectangular or square cross-sections are visible, they will reveal perforations along with pinacoid terminations, plus a slanted dome. Free crystals are a rare occurrence.

9. Chemical composition—70% to 90% calcium and 10% to 30% sodium. This is determined by the position of the structure of the crystal. Thus, the composition can be described as calcium sodium aluminum silicate. As a result, Bytownite tends to have a glazed luster and a conchoidal fracture. Weathering can cause it to become vitreous or translucent.

10. Identification and analysis—can be done with the aid of chemicals, diffraction, and petrographic analysis. Additional help comes in the form of occurrence, index of refraction and density, and striations.

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Higher performance:

- The renting of your house does not affect anything, i.e. when a house is rented property continues to be the same for all purposes and therefore is never lost. In fact the rent can get a greater return on your property.

- The house can be a good investment. If it remains empty, it still becomes an asset that is revalued and the need to sell it will definitely materialize revaluation. But if it is rented, you may also benefit from the income, which will report a profit achievable every month.

- The housing may be sold at any time even if it is rented. The only thing to do is to inform the purchaser of the existence of the tenants in order for the buyer to respect the tenant’s rights in the duration of the lease.

- The income received from rental can help to address some or all of the cost of the mortgage. If the house is fully paid, the income will enable you to maintain the premises in good condition and meet all the costs of maintenance, thus preventing its value from depreciation for being in poor condition.

Tax benefits:

- The incomes received in rentals are subject to tax benefits while calculating the income tax of individuals. It is deductible, including all expenses for obtaining the income, no state taxes or fees on expenses incurred by the contract, the cost of maintenance, repair and amounts for supplies.

- Allowing an house to be empty has several drawbacks. On one hand, there is a danger that it will deteriorate over time and therefore lose value. On the other hand, it involves facing a series of charges with no alternatives, they include payment receipts and the payment of taxes, such as Real Estate Taxes.

Your home as collateral:

- If one has a rental income from a home it can serve as collateral when applying for bank loans, either for their own interests or those who wish to support their loans through them.

- The Central Government and the Autonomous Communities are aware of the need to boost the rental market and are working to facilitate the fight against the bad practices of the tenants. With passing time the tenants are behaving better and the risk of damage to your housing is not as high as it used to be, although it is still there.