Mineralpedia Details for Bikitaite

Named for the type locality at the Nolan property in Bikita in the Masvingo District of Zimbabwe. The only other locality for Bikitaite is in the United States at the Foote Lithium Co. Mine in North Carolina, USA. Bikitaite occurs as a late-forming mineral within fractures in lithium-rich pegmatites. Associated minerals include eucryptite, quartz, Petalite, feldspar, calcite, stilbite, allophone, albite, and fairfieldite.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/bikitaite.pdf

Formula

LiAlSi₂O₆·H₂O 

Crystal System

Triclinic 

Crystal Habit

Aggregates 

Cleavage

Perfect, Good, None 

Luster

Vitreous (Glassy) 

Color

colorless, white 

Streak

white 

Class

Triclinic - Pedial 

Fracture

Conchoidal 

Hardness

6 

WebMineral

View Bikitaite 

Mindat

View Bikitaite 

3mm long, bladed crystal of Bikitaite.

Long prismatic, colorless crystals to 4mm randomly located across the face and associated eith purple Fluorapatite.

Colorless lath-like crystals to 8mm.

Long platy, clear crystals to 1mm with ragged terminations.

Special Info

Type Locality

This a large, wonderful specimen loaded with colorless, prismatic Bikitaite crystals. The largest crystal is 2cm. It is a Westenbeger collection piece, which was sold by Dave Bunk several years ago. Type locality and very hard to obtain.

Bladed Bikitaite crystals up to 1cm with numerous smaller crystals all over matrix.

Bikitaite is a very rare lithium tectosilicate and falls within the zeolite group. It is found in only three localities worldwide. This is the type locality, as the name would suggest. The specimen is practically all Bikitaite which shows many good platy, striated crystals to 1.5cm.