Muscovite Mineral Data
General Muscovite Information
Chemical Formula:
KAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH,F)2
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 398.71 gm
Potassium 9.81 % K 11.81 % K2 O
Aluminum 20.30 % Al 38.36 % Al2 O3
Silicon 21.13 % Si 45.21 % SiO2
Hydrogen 0.46 % H 4.07 % H2 O
Oxygen 47.35 % O
Fluorine 0.95 % F 0.95 % F
- %
F -0.40 % -O=F2
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
KAl3 Si3 O10 (OH)1.8 F0.2
Environment:
Granites and pegmatites.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1850
Locality:
Common world wide. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
From Muscovy glass, alluding to the Russian province of Muscovy.
Name Pronunciation:
Muscovite + Pronunciation
Synonym:
Binnite (Ba)
Fuchsite (Cr)
Isinglass
Potash Mica
Muscovite Image
Images:
Apatite-(CaF) Beryl Muscovite Apatite
Comments: Pink crystals of fluorapatite with pale blue beryl (aquamarine) on books of muscovite crystals.
Location: Nagar area, Gilgit district, Northern Areas, Pakistan.
Scale: 3 x 3 cm.
© Dan Weinrich
Images:
Muscovite
Comments: Pseudo-hexagonal crystalline aggregate of muscovite.
Location: Conselheiro Pena, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Scale: Crystal size 2 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy
Images:
Muscovite
Comments: Seams of green muscovite var. fuchsite in quartz matrix with minor pyrite crystals.
Location: Wolfe's Neck locality, Freeport, Cumberland Co., Maine, USA.
Scale: 7x5x4 cm.
© John Betts - Fine Minerals
Images:
Muscovite Aluminoceladonite
Comments: Large, 1cm, purple crystals of muscovite/leucophyllite, (var. alurgite which is an intermediate composition to muscovite and leucophyllite (aluminoceladonite).
Location: Ultevis, Sweden.
Scale: 5x3.5x3cm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix
Muscovite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:b:c =0.5747:1:2.2203
Cell Dimensions:
a = 5.19, b = 9.03, c = 20.05, Z = 4; beta = 95.5° V = 935.33 Den(Calc)= 2.83
Crystal System:
Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/m
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 3.32(1), 9.95(0.95), 2.57(0.55),
Forms:
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Forms:
( 2 2 1)
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( 0 1 0)
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Physical Properties of Muscovite
Cleavage:
{001} Perfect
Color:
White, Gray, Silver white, Brownish white, Greenish white.
Density:
2.77 - 2.88, Average = 2.82
Diaphaneity:
Transparent to translucent
Fracture:
Brittle - Sectile - Brittle fracture with slightly sectile shavings possible.
Habit:
Foliated - Two dimensional platy forms.
Habit:
Massive - Lamellar - Distinctly foliated fine-grained forms.
Habit:
Micaceous - Platy texture with "flexible" plates.
Hardness:
2-2.5 - Gypsum-Finger Nail
Luminescence:
Non-fluorescent.
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Muscovite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = 0.015 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = 0.017 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.2073,KPDmeas = 0.2077,KC = 0.2109 Ncalc = 1.58 - 1.61
Optical Data:
Biaxial (?), a=1.552-1.574, b=1.582-1.61, g=1.586-1.616, bire=0.0340-0.0420, 2V(Calc)=38-42, 2V(Meas)=30-47. Dispersion weak to distinct, r > v.
Pleochroism (x):
colorless or robins egg blue.
Pleochroism (y):
colorless, very pale green, yellow, or pale yellowish green.
Calculated Properties of Muscovite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.81 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Muscovite =2.83 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.01 Boson Index = 0.99
Photoelectric:
PEMuscovite = 2.39 barns/electronU=PEMuscovite x r electron = 6.72 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 140.52 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Muscovite per GRapi unit = 0.71 (%)
Estimated Radioactivity from Muscovite - barely detectable
Muscovite Classification
Dana Class:
71.02.02a.01 (71) Phyllosilicate Sheets of Six-Membered Rings
(71.02) with 2:1 Layers
(71.02.02a) Mica Group (Muscovite subgroup)
71.02.02a.01 Muscovite KAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH,F)2 C 2/m 2/m
71.02.02a.02 Paragonite NaAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2 C 2/c,Cc Mono
71.02.02a.03 Chernykhite (Ba,Na)V,Al)2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2 C 2/c 2/m
71.02.02a.04 Roscoelite K(V,Al,Mg)2AlSi3O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m
71.02.02a.05 Glauconite (K,Na)(Fe,Al,Mg)2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m
71.02.02a.06 Celadonite K(Mg,Fe)(Fe,Al)[Si4O10](OH)2 C 2/m 2/m
71.02.02a.06b Ferroceladonite ! K2FeFeSi8O20(OH)4 C 2/m 2/m
71.02.02a.06c Ferroaluminoceladonite ! K2Fe2Al2Si8O20(OH)4 C 2/m 2/m
71.02.02a.06d Aluminoceladonite ! KAl(Mg,Fe)[]Si4O10(OH)2 2/m
71.02.02a.06e Chromceladonite ! KCrMg(Si4O10)(OH)2 C 2 2
71.02.02a.07 Tobelite (NH4,K)Al2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m
71.02.02a.08 Nanpingite Cs(Al,Mg,Fe,Li)2(Si3Al)O10(OH,F)2 C 2/c 2/m
71.02.02a.09 Boromuscovite KAl2(Si3B)O10(OH,F)2 C 2/m 2/m
71.02.02a.10 Montdorite (K,Na)(Fe,Mn,Mg)2.5[Si4O10](F,OH)2 C 2/c 2/m
71.02.02a.11 Chromphyllite ! (K,Ba)(Cr,Al)2[AlSi3O10](OH,F)2 C 2c 2/m
71.02.02a.12 Shirokshinite ! K(NaMg2)Si4O10F2 C 2/m 2/m
Strunz Class:
09.EC.15 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
09.E - Phyllosilicates
09.EC -Phyllosilicates with mica sheets, composed of tetrahedral and octahedral nets
09.EC.15 Boromuscovite KAl2(Si3B)O10(OH,F)2 C 2/m 2/m
09.EC.15 Celadonite K(Mg,Fe)(Fe,Al)[Si4O10](OH)2 C 2/m 2/m
09.EC.15 Chernykhite (Ba,Na)V,Al)2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2 C 2/c 2/m
09.EC.15 Chromphyllite ! (K,Ba)(Cr,Al)2[AlSi3O10](OH,F)2 C 2c 2/m
09.EC.15 Glauconite (K,Na)(Fe,Al,Mg)2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m
09.EC.15 Aluminoceladonite ! KAl(Mg,Fe)[]Si4O10(OH)2 2/m
09.EC.15 Ferroaluminoceladonite ! K2Fe2Al2Si8O20(OH)4 C 2/m 2/m
09.EC.15 Ferroceladonite ! K2FeFeSi8O20(OH)4 C 2/m 2/m
09.EC.15 Montdorite (K,Na)(Fe,Mn,Mg)2.5[Si4O10](F,OH)2 C 2/c 2/m
09.EC.15 Nanpingite Cs(Al,Mg,Fe,Li)2(Si3Al)O10(OH,F)2 C 2/c 2/m
09.EC.15 Tobelite (NH4,K)Al2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m
09.EC.15 Roscoelite K(V,Al,Mg)2AlSi3O10(OH)2 C 2/m 2/m
09.EC.15 Muscovite KAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH,F)2 C 2/m 2/m
09.EC.15 Paragonite NaAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2 C 2/c,Cc Mono
09.EC.15 Tainiolite KLiMg2Si4O10F2 C 2/m 2/m
09.EC.15 Chromceladonite ! KCrMg(Si4O10)(OH)2 C 2 2
09.EC.15 Ganterite ! [Ba0.5(Na,K)0.5]Al2(Si2.5Al1.5O10)(OH)2 C 2/c 2/m
Other Muscovite Information
See Also:
Links to other databases for Muscovite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - CalTech Mineral Spectroscopy
7 - EUROmin Project
8 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
9 - Franklin Minerals(Palache)
10 - GeoScienceWorld
11 - Glendale Community College
12 - Google Images
13 - Google Scholar
14 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
15 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
16 - HyperPhysics
17 - MinDAT
18 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
19 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
20 - Minerals in Thin Section-University of North Carolina
21 - Minerals in Thin Sections-Humboldt State
22 - Online Mineral Museum
23 - Philatelic Mineralogy
24 - QUT Mineral Atlas
25 - Ruff.Info
26 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
27 - UCLA - Petrography Thin-Sections
28 - WWW-MINCRYST
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Muscovite Specimen Label here :
Muscovite
KAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH,F)2
Dana No: 71.02.02a.01 Strunz No: 09.EC.15
Locality:
Notes:
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