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Micaceous Minerals 3

Sunday, 19 February 2017 08:00 AM

Not all micaceous looking minerals fall in the MICA group of phyllosilicate minerals. Many of the other silicates appear micaceous but are not. We'll have a look at some of these minerals and hopefully explain the difference. Take a look at our article on Mica and Other Micaceous Minerals.

Chamosite

var. daphnite - #PD30939
Locality
Tolgus mine, Redruth, Cornwall, England 
Formula
(Fe2+,Mg,Al,Fe3+)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH,O)8 
Availability
Sold
Size
7 x 5 x 5 cm - Sm Cabinet 

Green granular Chamosite with individual crystals less than 1mm in most areas o fthe specimen. Chamosite is a phyllosilicate but not a mica, but is a member of the chlorite group with mica sheets. It is also the iron analogue of Chlorite. The chrystal chemistry of Chamosite thus gives way to a micaceous habit, just not in large sheets like a mica group mineral. Chamosite was named for Chamoson, Switzerland, where it was forst home.


Chamosite

Formula
(Fe2+,Mg,Al,Fe3+)6(Si,Al)4O10(OH,O)8 
Crystal System
Monoclinic 
Crystal Habit
Oolitic, Granular 
Cleavage
Good, None, None 
Luster
Vitreous - Dull 
Color
gray, greenish gray, brown, blackish green 
Streak
grayish green 
Class
Monoclinic - Prismatic 
Fracture
Uneven 
Hardness
Collection
Phillips Collection
SOLD
Chernykhite - 46446
Chernykhite - 46446

Chernykhite

#46446
Locality
Balasauskandyk V Deposit, S. Kazakhstan, Russia 
Formula
BaV3+2(Si2Al2)O10(OH)2 
Availability
Sold
Size
Chip < 1cm 
Tagged
vanadium  
Special Info
Type Locality 
Special Info
XRD Confirmed 
Special Info
EDS Confirmed 

Chernykhite is a barium-vanadium mica found in only three or four localities in the world. This specimen is from the type locality and identified by Dr. Igor Pekov.


Chernykhite

Formula
BaV3+2(Si2Al2)O10(OH)2 
Crystal System
Monoclinic 
Crystal Habit
Crystalline - Fine 
Cleavage
Perfect 
Luster
Vitreous (Glassy) 
Color
dark green, olive green 
Streak
greenish white 
Class
Monoclinic - Prismatic 
Hardness
3-4 
Special Info
Type Locality
Special Info
XRD Confirmed
Special Info
EDS Confirmed
SOLD
Chromceladonite - 46449
Chromceladonite - 46449

Chromceladonite

#46449
Locality
Srednyaya Padma mine, Zaonezhie pen., Karelia, Russia 
Formula
KMgCrSi4O10(OH)2 
Availability
Sold
Size
3.5 x 2.5 x 1.5 cm - Miniature 
Special Info
Type Locality 
Special Info
XRD Confirmed 
Special Info
EDS Confirmed 
Special Info
Author's Material 

Chromceladonite is a one locality chromium rich mica group member. This specimen is very rich with dark green to blackish compact micaceous crystals. Identified by Dr. Igor Pekov, and this specimen is from his study material when describing the mineral.


Chromceladonite

Formula
KMgCrSi4O10(OH)2 
Crystal System
Monoclinic 
Crystal Habit
Massive - Granular, Spherical 
Cleavage
Perfect, None, None 
Luster
Vitreous - Silky 
Color
emerald green, dark green 
Streak
pale green 
Class
Monoclinic - Sphenoidal 
Fracture
Flexible 
Hardness
1-2 
Special Info
Type Locality
Special Info
XRD Confirmed
Special Info
EDS Confirmed
Special Info
Author's Material

Clinochlore

var. ripidolith with Albite, Rutile & Muscovite - #PD39253
Locality
Sorescia Alp, St Gotthard Massif, Leventina, Ticino, Switzerland 
Formula
Mg6Si4O10(OH)8 
Availability
Sold
Size
9 x 6 x 4 cm - Sm Cabinet 

Coarse crystalline deep green micaceous crystals of Clinochlore, variety ripidolith. This variety was originally an intermediate member of the clinochlore-chamosite series. Found in 1974 and once in the collection of Dr. Gerhard Jung. See prov. tab.


Clinochlore

Formula
Mg6Si4O10(OH)8 
Crystal System
Monoclinic 
Crystal Habit
Massive - Fibrous, Pseudo Hexagonal, Granular 
Cleavage
Perfect, None, None 
Luster
Vitreous - Pearly 
Color
blackish green, bluish green, white, yellowish green, olive green 
Streak
white 
Class
Monoclinic - Prismatic 
Fracture
Uneven 
Hardness
2-2.5 
Collection
Phillips Collection

Clintonite

with Vesuvianite - #27844
Locality
Commercial quarry, Crestmore, Riverside Co., California, United States 
Formula
CaAlMg2(SiAl3)O10(OH)2 
Availability
Sold
Size
5.5 x 4 x 2 cm - Sm Cabinet 

Green to light yellow green 3-5mm plates of Clintonite, a brittle mica. Brittle micas do have flexible plates, so this is a hint to its identification.

Clintonite is a phyllosilicate, a mica group member subclassified as a brittle, trioctahedral Mica. Ca, Na, K occupies the interlayer positions while Mg, Fe2+, Al, Fe3+, Mn in the octahedral positions.

Clintonite occurs as tabular, pseudohexagonal, foliated, lamellar radiate crystals. Occurs cheifly in association with calcite, idocrase, grossular, spinel, phlogopite in crystalline limestones i.e. Crestmore (Encycl. of Min.)


Clintonite

Formula
CaAlMg2(SiAl3)O10(OH)2 
Crystal System
Monoclinic 
Crystal Habit
Massive - Lamellar, Radial 
Cleavage
Perfect, None, None 
Luster
Pearly 
Color
colorless, green, yellow, red, reddish brown 
Streak
colorless 
Class
Monoclinic - Prismatic 
Fracture
Brittle 
Hardness
4-5 
SOLD
Ferroceladonite - PD46689
Ferroceladonite - PD46689

Ferroceladonite

#PD46689
Locality
Mikhailovskoe iron deposit, Kursk Oblast, Russia 
Formula
KFe2+Fe3+Si4O10(OH)2 
Availability
Sold
Size
3 x 1 x 1 cm - Thumbnail 

Ferroceladonite is phyllosilicate and mica group member. It is an Ordinary (True or Common) Mica - Dioctahderal. The iron(II) analog of Celadonite. Only a handful of localities worldwide. According to Bernard and Hrysl, occurs as submicrometric grains, pale green to bluish green in vesicles with chlorite. For more information on Mica minerals and other phyllosilicates please reference our article - Click Here.


Ferroceladonite

Formula
KFe2+Fe3+Si4O10(OH)2 
Crystal System
Monoclinic 
Crystal Habit
Microscopic Crystals 
Cleavage
Perfect, None, None 
Luster
Earthy (Dull) 
Color
dark bluish green 
Streak
paler green 
Class
Monoclinic - Prismatic 
Fracture
Earthy 
Hardness
2-2.5 
Collection
Phillips Collection

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