Elbaite Mineral Data
General Elbaite Information
Chemical Formula:
Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 916.68 gm
Sodium 2.51 % Na 3.38 % Na2 O
Lithium 1.89 % Li 4.07 % Li2 O
Aluminum 19.13 % Al 36.15 % Al2 O3
Silicon 18.38 % Si 39.33 % SiO2
Boron 3.54 % B 11.39 % B2 O3
Hydrogen 0.44 % H 3.93 % H2 O
Oxygen 54.11 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 98.25 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
NaLi2.5 Al6.5 (BO3 )3 Si6 O18 (OH)4
Environment:
Granitic pegmatites characterized by hydrothermal replacement.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1908 (Dana # Changed)
Locality:
Island of Elba, Italy. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named for the locality.
Name Pronunciation:
Elbaite
Synonym:
Achroite - colorless
Elbaite - (61.3.1.6)
ICSD 9252
Indicolite - blue
PDF 49-1833
Rubellite - red or pink
Tsilaisite - Mn-bearing elbaite
Elbaite Image
Images:
Elbaite
Comments: Doubly terminated tri-color elbaite (tourmaline) with minor white clevelandite (albite).
Location: Himalaya mine, San Diego County, California, USA.
Scale: 3 x 1.5 cm.
© Fabre Minerals
Images:
Elbaite
Comments: Gemmy-blue crystal of elbaite (Indicolite) tourmaline.
Location: Morro Redondo Mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Scale: Crystal size 8.5 cm.
© Kevin Ward
Elbaite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:c = 1:0.44847
Cell Dimensions:
a = 15.838, c = 7.103, Z = 3; V = 1,543.03 Den(Calc)= 2.96
Crystal System:
Trigonal - Ditrigonal Pyramidal H-M Symbol (3m) Space Group: R 3m
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 2.576(1), 2.961(0.85), 3.99(0.85),
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Physical Properties of Elbaite
Cleavage:
{1011} Indistinct
Color:
Blue, Colorless, Green, Yellow, White.
Density:
2.9 - 3.2, Average = 3.05
Diaphaneity:
Transparent to translucent to opaque
Fracture:
Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.
Habit:
Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).
Habit:
Striated - Parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face.
Hardness:
7.5 - Garnet
Luminescence:
Fluorescent, Short UV=weak blue white to blue.
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Elbaite
Dichroism (e):
colorless.
Dichroism (w):
colorless.
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = 0.028 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = -0.002 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.2139,KPDmeas = 0.2075,KC = 0.2134 Ncalc = 1.62 - 1.68
Optical Data:
Uniaxial (-), e=1.615-1.632, w=1.635-1.65, bire=0.0180-0.0200.
Calculated Properties of Elbaite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.93 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Elbaite =2.96 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.01 Boson Index = 0.99
Photoelectric:
PEElbaite = 1.38 barns/electronU=PEElbaite x r Electron Density= 4.03 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Elbaite is Not Radioactive
Elbaite Classification
Dana Class:
61.03d.01.08 (61) Cyclosilicate Six-Membered Rings
(61.03d) with borate groups (Lithian Tourmaline Subgroup)
(61.03d.01) Elbaite Subgroup
61.03d.01.07 Olenite ! NaAl3Al6(BO3)3(Si6O18)(O,OH)4 R 3m 3m
61.03d.01.08 Elbaite ! Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
Strunz Class:
09.CK.05 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
09.C - Cyclosilicates
09.CK -[Si6O18]12- 6-membered single rings, with insular complex anions
09.CK.05 Chromdravite ! NaMg3(Cr,Fe)6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Feruvite ! (Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Ti)3(Al,Mg,Fe)6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Dravite NaMg3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Buergerite ! NaFe3Al6(BO3)3Si6O21F R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Foitite ! []Na<0.5(Fe,Al)3Al6Si6O18(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Liddicoatite ! Ca(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(O,OH,F)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Elbaite Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Rossmanite ! []LiAl2Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Olenite ! NaAl3Al6(BO3)3(Si6O18)(O,OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Povondraite ! (Na,K)(Fe,Fe)3(Fe,Mg,Al)6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Schorl NaFe3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Uvite (Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe)3Al5Mg(BO3)3Si6O18(OH,F)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Vanadiumdravite ! NaMg3V6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Magnesiofoitite ! [](Mg2Al)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Hydroxyuvite ! CaMg3(Al5Mg)(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Schorl-(F) ! NaFe3Al6Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(F,OH) R 3m 3m
Other Elbaite Information
References:
NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)
See Also:
Links to other databases for Elbaite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - CalTech Mineral Spectroscopy
5 - EUROmin Project
6 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
7 - GeoScienceWorld
8 - Google Images
9 - Google Scholar
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
11 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
12 - HyperPhysics
13 - MinDAT
14 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
15 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
16 - Online Mineral Museum
17 - Philatelic Mineralogy
18 - QUT Mineral Atlas
19 - Ruff.Info
20 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
21 - WWW-MINCRYST
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Elbaite
Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4
Dana No: 61.03d.01.08 Strunz No: 09.CK.05
Locality:
Notes:
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