Aqualite is a very rare mineral of the

eudialyte group Eudialyte group is a group of complex trigonal zircono- and, more rarely, titanosilicate minerals with general formula (1)N(2)N(3)N(4)N(5)sub>3 (1a)M(1b)sub>3M(2)3M(4)Z3 i24O72'4X2, where N(1) and N(2) and N(3) and N(5) = Na+ and more rarely H3 ...

, with formula (H₃O)₈(Na,K,Sr)₅Ca₆Zr₃SiSi(Si₂₄O₆₆)(OH)₉Cl.Khomyakov, A. P., Nechelyustov, G. N., and Rastsvetaeva, R. K., 2007: Aqualite, a new mineral species of the eudialyte group from the Inagli alkaline pluton, Sakha-Yakutia, Russia, and the problem of oxonium in hydrated eudialytes. Geology of Ore Deposits 49(8), 739–751. The formula given does not show the presence of cyclic silicate groups. The original formula was extended to show the presence of silicon at both M3 and M4 sites, according to the nomenclature of the eudialyte group.Johnsen, O., Ferraris, G., Gault, R. A., Grice, D. G., Kampf, A. R., and Pekov, I. V., 2003. The nomenclature of eudialyte-group minerals. The Canadian Mineralogist 41, 785–794. Aqualite is unique among the eudialyte group in being

hydronium In chemistry, hydronium (hydroxonium in traditional British English) is the common name for the aqueous cation , the type of oxonium ion produced by protonation of water. It is often viewed as the positive ion present when an Arrhenius acid is d ...

-rich (the only other eudialyte-group species with essential

, is the recently discovered

ilyukhinite Ilyukhinite is a very rare mineral of the eudialyte group, with formula .Chukanov, N.V., Rastsvetaeva, R.K., Rozenberg, K.A., Aksenov, S.M., Pekov, I.V., Belakovskiy, D.I., and Kristiansen, R., 2015, Ilyukhinite, IMA 2015-065. CNMNC Newsletter No. ...

). Among the other representatives of the group it also distinguish in splitting of the M1 site into two sub-sites, both occupied by calcium. Thus, its symmetry is lowered from typical for most eudialytes ''R''3''m'' (or ''R''-3''m'') to ''R''3. The name refers to high content of water in the mineral.

Notes on chemistry

Elements occurring as admixtures in aqualite include

barium Barium is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and atomic number 56. It is the fifth element in group 2 and is a soft, silvery alkaline earth metal. Because of its high chemical reactivity, barium is never found in nature as a free element. Th ...

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...

, rare-earth elements (including

cerium Cerium is a chemical element with the symbol Ce and atomic number 58. Cerium is a soft, ductile, and silvery-white metal that tarnishes when exposed to air. Cerium is the second element in the lanthanide series, and while it often shows the +3 o ...

titanium Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion in ...

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

and trace

niobium Niobium is a chemical element with chemical symbol Nb (formerly columbium, Cb) and atomic number 41. It is a light grey, crystalline, and ductile transition metal. Pure niobium has a Mohs hardness rating similar to pure titanium, and it has sim ...

Occurrence and association

Aqualite was discovered among peralkaline pegmatites of the Inagli massif, Sakha-Yakutia, Russia. Associated minerals are aegirine, batisite, eckermanite, innelite, lorezenite,

natrolite Natrolite is a tectosilicate mineral species belonging to the zeolite group. It is a hydrated sodium and aluminium silicate with the formula . The type locality is Hohentwiel, Hegau, Germany. It was named natrolite by Martin Heinrich Klaproth i ...

microcline Microcline (KAlSi3O8) is an important igneous rock-forming tectosilicate mineral. It is a potassium-rich alkali feldspar. Microcline typically contains minor amounts of sodium. It is common in granite and pegmatites. Microcline forms during slow ...

, thorite, and

galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It cryst ...

Origin

Aqualite is thought to be formed by ion exchange transformation of a precursor mineral.

References

Cyclosilicates Sodium minerals Calcium minerals Zirconium minerals Trigonal minerals Minerals in space group 146 {{silicate-mineral-stub