Hibonite is a complex oxide, which has become highly sought after by collectors of rare minerals. It was first discovered in 1956 by the French prospector Paul Hibon in Madagascar, with additional deposits subsequently found in Russia and, as recently as 2011, within Myanmar’s famous Mogok gemstone tract. While hibonite crystals sourced from the former two localities tended to be a very dark brown that verged on black, the Burmese material possesses sufficient size, clarity and lightness of tone so as to be suitable for faceting. However, as is often the case with rare minerals, these specimens generally carry more value in their natural form and only around ten cut stones are known to exist.

Microscopic blue crystals of extra-terrestrial hibonite have also been found in meteorites, with the most famous example being the 1.5 mm “Blue Angel” from the Murchison meteorite that impacted Victoria, Australia in 1969.