Stellerite Mineral Data
General Stellerite Information
Chemical Formula:
CaAl2Si7O18•7(H2O)
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 704.74 gm
Calcium 5.69 % Ca 7.96 % CaO
Aluminum 7.66 % Al 14.47 % Al2 O3
Silicon 27.90 % Si 59.68 % SiO2
Hydrogen 2.00 % H 17.89 % H2 O
Oxygen 56.76 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
CaAl2 Si7 O18 •7(H2 O)
Environment:
Found in diabase-tuff from the Komandor islands, Bering Sea and other diabase rocks world wide.
IMA Status:
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1909
Locality:
Copper Isand, Commander Islands, Bering Sea. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named after Georg Wilhelm Steller (1709-1746), German explorer, zoologist and the discoverer of the Komandor Islands.
Name Pronunciation:
Stellerite + Pronunciation
Synonym:
ICSD 4395
PDF 25-124
Stellerite Image
Images:
Stellerite
Comments: Hemispherical crystal cluster 35 mm diameter of white stellerite crystals in a pocket lined with drusy quartz.
Location: Pune (Poonah), Maharashtra, India.
Scale: 13x7x5 cm.
© John Betts - Fine Minerals
Images:
Stellerite
Comments: Orange, blocky crystalline stellerite aggregate.
Location: Tambar Springs, New South Wales, Australia.
Scale: Picture size 6x4 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy
Stellerite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:b:c =0.7462:1:0.9704
Cell Dimensions:
a = 13.599, b = 18.222, c = 17.683, Z = 8; V = 4,381.86 Den(Calc)= 2.14
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: F mmm
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 9.03(1), 4.04(0.45), 3.03(0.25),
Physical Properties of Stellerite
Cleavage:
{010} Perfect, {100} Imperfect, {001} Imperfect
Color:
White, Pink, Salmon orange, Brown, Red.
Density:
2.12 - 2.13, Average = 2.12
Diaphaneity:
Transparent to translucent
Habit:
Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.
Habit:
Stellate - Occurs as spherical, radial aggregates radiating from a "star" like point.
Habit:
Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.
Hardness:
4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite
Luminescence:
Non-fluorescent.
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Magnetism:
Nonmagnetic
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Stellerite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = 0.002 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = 0.009 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.2296,KPDmeas = 0.2312,KC = 0.2316 Ncalc = 1.49 - 1.5
Optical Data:
Biaxial (-), a=1.4848, b=1.4864-1.4964, g=1.4979, bire=0.0131
Calculated Properties of Stellerite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.16 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Stellerite =2.13 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.01 Boson Index = 0.99
Photoelectric:
PEStellerite = 2.02 barns/electronU=PEStellerite x r Electron Density= 4.37 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Stellerite is Not Radioactive
Stellerite Classification
Dana Class:
77.01.04.04 (77) Tectosilicate Zeolite group
(77.01) true zeolites
(77.01.04) Heulandite and related species
77.01.04.01 Heulandite-Ca (Ca,Na)2-3Al3(Al,Si)2Si13O36•12(H2O) C 2/m, Cm, C 2 Mono
77.01.04.01a Heulandite-Na ! (Na,Ca)2-3Al3(Al,Si)2Si13O36•12(H2O) C 2/m, Cm, C 2 Mono
77.01.04.01b Heulandite-K ! (K,Na,Ca)2-3Al3(Al,Si)2Si13O36•12(H2O) C 2/m, Cm, C 2 2/m
77.01.04.01c Heulandite-Sr ! (Sr,Na,Ca)2-3Al3(Al,Si)2Si13O36•12(H2O) C 2/m, Cm, C 2 Mono
77.01.04.01d Heulandite-Ba ! (Ba,Ca,K,Na,Sr)5Al9Si27O72•22(H2O) C 2/m 2/m
77.01.04.02 Clinoptilolite-K (Na,K,Ca)2-3Al3(Al,Si)2Si13O36•12(H2O) C 2/m, C 2, Cm Mono
77.01.04.02a Clinoptilolite-Na ! (Na,K,Ca)2-3Al3(Al,Si)2Si13O36•12(H2O) C 2/m, C 2, Cm Mono
77.01.04.02b Clinoptilolite-Ca ! (Ca,Na,K)2-3Al3(Al,Si)2Si13O36•12(H2O) C 2/m 2/m
77.01.04.03 Stilbite-Ca NaCa4[Al8Si28O72]•n(H2O)(n=28-32) C 2/m 2/m
77.01.04.03a Stilbite-Na ! Na3Ca3[Al8Si28O72]•n(H2O)(n=28-32) C 2/m 2/m
77.01.04.04 Stellerite CaAl2Si7O18•7(H2O) F mmm 2/m 2/m 2/m
77.01.04.05 Barrerite (Na,K,Ca)2Al2Si7O18•6(H2O) Amma or Ammm 2/m 2/m 2/m
Strunz Class:
09.GE.15 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
09.G - Tektosilicates with Zeolitic H2O
09.GE -Chains of T10O20 Tetrahedra
09.GE.15 Barrerite (Na,K,Ca)2Al2Si7O18•6(H2O) Amma or Ammm 2/m 2/m 2/m
09.GE.15 Stellerite CaAl2Si7O18•7(H2O) F mmm 2/m 2/m 2/m
Other Stellerite Information
References:
NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
See Also:
Links to other databases for Stellerite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - WWW-MINCRYST
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Stellerite
CaAl2Si7O18•7(H2O)
Dana No: 77.01.04.04 Strunz No: 09.GE.15
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