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Elbaite Mineral Data

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General Elbaite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 916.68 gm
   Sodium     2.51 %  Na    3.38 % Na2O
   Lithium    1.89 %  Li    4.07 % Li2O
   Aluminum  19.13 %  Al   36.15 % Al2O3
   Silicon   18.38 %  Si   39.33 % SiO2
   Boron      3.54 %  B    11.39 % B2O3
   Hydrogen   0.44 %  H     3.93 % H2O
   Oxygen    54.11 %  O
            ______        ______ 
            100.00 %       98.25 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: NaLi2.5Al6.5(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4
Help on Environment: Environment: Granitic pegmatites characterized by hydrothermal replacement.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1908 (Dana # Changed)
Help on Locality: Locality: Island of Elba, Italy. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named for the locality.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Elbaite Say ELBAITE
Help on Synonym: 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

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  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

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  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

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:c = 1:0.44847
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 15.838, c = 7.103, Z = 3; V = 1,543.03 Den(Calc)= 2.96
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Trigonal - Ditrigonal Pyramidal H-M Symbol (3m) Space Group: R 3m
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 2.576(1), 2.961(0.85), 3.99(0.85),
Help on Forms: Forms:

Mouse
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RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize

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Help on Above

Forms: ( 0 2 1) ( 1 0 1) ( 1 2 0) ( 1 0 0) ( 1 0 1) ( 0 2 1)

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Physical Properties of Elbaite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {1011} Indistinct
Help on Color: Color: Blue, Colorless, Green, Yellow, White.
Help on Density: Density: 2.9 - 3.2, Average = 3.05
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent to translucent to opaque
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.
Help on Habit: Habit: Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).
Help on Habit: Habit: Striated - Parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 7.5 - Garnet
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Fluorescent, Short UV=weak blue white to blue.
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Elbaite

Help on Dichroism (e): Dichroism (e): colorless.
Help on Dichroism (w): Dichroism (w): colorless.
Help on Gladstone-Dale: 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
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Uniaxial (-), e=1.615-1.632, w=1.635-1.65, bire=0.0180-0.0200.
 

Calculated Properties of Elbaite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.93 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Elbaite =2.96 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEElbaite = 1.38 barns/electron
U=PEElbaite x rElectron Density= 4.03 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Elbaite is Not Radioactive
 

Elbaite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: 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
Help on  Strunz Class: 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

Help on References: References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)
Help on See Also: 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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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Elbaite Specimen Label here :

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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