Clinohumite is a rare mineral and an especially rare gemstone. It is a member of the humite group of minerals, which includes humite, clinohumite, chondrodite, and norbergite.
The humite minerals are named after Sir Abraham Hume (1749-1838), an English mineralogist and famous art collector. Clinohumite was first discovered in 1876 in limestone blocks from the volcano, Mount Vesuvius near Naples, Italy. Only three sources of gem-quality material clinohumite are known: the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, the Taymyr region of northern Siberia and the Mahenge Plateau of Tanzania.