Mineralpedia Details for Pabstite
Pabstite
Named after Dr. Adolf Pabst, a former Professor of Mineralogy at the University of California in the United States. Pabstite is a rare mineral found only in the United States as well as at some newer localities in Tajikistan and Mexico. It occurs at its type locality in the Kalkar quarry in California as a filling in fractures and as disseminated grains in silicon-rich limestone that and been recrystallized and has evidence of contact metamorphism. Pabstite will fluoresce white with blue tones under short-wave ultraviolet light.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/pabstite.pdf
- Formula
- BaSnSi3O9
- Crystal System
- Hexagonal
- Crystal Habit
- Anhedral Grains
- Luster
- Vitreous (Glassy)
- Color
- colorless, white
- Streak
- white
- Class
- Hexagonal - Ditrigonal Dipyramidal
- Hardness
- 6
- WebMineral
- View Pabstite
- Mindat
- View Pabstite
Pabstite from Kalkar quarry, Santa Cruz Co., California, United States
Nondescript white crystal to 5-6mm in matrix. You cannot really discern the crystal until you place an ultraviolet light under short wave on the specimen. The photo shows a strong response to UV SW, a typical bright blue.
