Sphene has an even greater dispersion (fire) than diamond and a surface lustre to match diamond. Colours range through yellow, brown and green. Sphene is very soft and brittle, so rarely seen in jewellery.
The V&A owns an important collection of 154 gems bequeathed by the Reverend Chauncy Hare Townshend, a cleric and poet. Sir A. H. Church gave additional specimens, including this one, in 1913. He also compiled the first catalogue Precious Stones: A Guide to the Townshend Collection. The first edition appeared in 1883. The stones are mounted as rings, although they may not have been intended to be worn.