The mineral zektzerite is a member of the tuhualite group and was first found in 1966 by Seattle mineralogist Benjamin Bartlett "Bart" Cannon. It was discovered in the Willow creek basin below Silver Star mountain in miarolitic cavities within the alkaline

arfvedsonite Arfvedsonite () is a sodium amphibole mineral with composition: aNa2] Fe2+)4Fe3+(OH)2, Si8O22]. It crystallizes in the monoclinic prismatic crystal system and typically occurs as greenish black to bluish grey fibrous to radiating or stellate pr ...

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...

phase of the Golden Horn batholith,

Okanogan County, Washington Okanogan County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington along the Canada–U.S. border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,104. The county seat is Okanogan, while the largest city is Omak. Its area is the largest in ...

. It is named for Jack Zektzer (born 1936), mathematician and mineral collector of Seattle, Washington. The mineral was misidentified as alkali beryl (

morganite Morganite is an orange or pink gemstone and is also a variety of beryl. Morganite can be mined in countries like Brazil, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Namibia, the United States, and Madagascar. Morganite has grown in popularity since 2010. ''Brides ...

) at that time. Subsequently, in September, 1975, additional specimens of the mineral were found in a "float boulder" (a

glacial erratic A glacial erratic is glacially deposited rock differing from the type of rock native to the area in which it rests. Erratics, which take their name from the Latin word ' ("to wander"), are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundre ...

, or

dropstone Dropstones are isolated fragments of rock found within finer-grained water-deposited sedimentary rocks or pyroclastic beds. They range in size from small pebbles to boulders. The critical distinguishing feature is that there is evidence that the ...

) on the north side of Kangaroo Ridge at an approximate elevation of ; it was recognized that the material was not beryl.Dunn et al.: ''Zektzerite: a new lithium sodium zirconium silicate related to tuhualite and the osumilite group,'' American Mineralogist, v. 62, p. 416-20 (1977)

Properties

Synthesis: by

fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...

of Li₂CO₃, Na₂CO₃, SiO₂, ZrO₂. The resulting material has a brilliant blue white fluorescence under short wave ultraviolet light.

Occurrence

Zektzerite is a mineral of

agpaitic An agpaitic rock is a peralkaline igneous rock, typically nepheline syenite or phonolite. Characteristic minerals in these rocks include complex silicates containing zirconium, titanium, sodium, calcium, the rare-earth elements, and fluorine. Agp ...

granites with

. It occurs with

smoky quartz Smoky quartz is a brownish grey, translucent variety of quartz that ranges in clarity from almost complete transparency to an almost-opaque brownish-gray or black crystals. The smoky color results from free silicon formed from the silicon dioxide ...

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 slo ...

, okanoganite, sogdianite,

astrophyllite Astrophyllite is a very rare, brown to golden-yellow hydrous potassium iron titanium silicate mineral. Belonging to the astrophyllite group, astrophyllite may be classed either as an inosilicate, phyllosilicate, or an intermediate between th ...

, and

zircon Zircon () is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates and is a source of the metal zirconium. Its chemical name is zirconium(IV) silicate, and its corresponding chemical formula is Zr SiO4. An empirical formula showing some of t ...

. It is found in cavities as

euhedral Euhedral crystals (also known as idiomorphic or automorphic crystals) are those that are well-formed, with sharp, easily recognised faces. The opposite is anhedral (also known as '' xenomorphic'' or ''allotriomorphic''): a rock with an anhedra ...

crystals in the agpaitic-granite phase of the Golden Horn batholith,

. It also occurs in blocks of pegmatite as rock-forming grains in a moraine of the Dara Pioz glacier in northern

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

; in the Del Salto pluton in

Aysén Province Aysén Province ( es, Provincia de Aysén) is one of four Provinces of Chile, provinces of the Chilean Regions of Chile, region of Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region, Aysen (XI). Its capital is Puerto Aysén. Demographics The pro ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

;as euhedral crystals at Virikkollen, Haneholmveien, Sandefjord, Norway; Ampasibitika, Ampasindava Peninsula, Madagascar; and as gemmy crystals up to 3 cm from Mt. Malosa Malawi.

References

* Die Seltene Mineralien von Dara-i-Pioz in Hochgebirge Tadshikistans Lapis v. 16(12) p. 42-48 (1991) * Peralkaline rocks in the late Cretaceous Del Salto pluton Eastern Patagonian Andes Aisen Chile Revista Geologica de Chile v. 29 #1 July 1992 p. 3-15 * Glasser, F. P., Marr J. Synthesis of anhydrous silicates containing double chain anions Si6O15 (6-): Proceedings British Ceramic Society No. 28 p. 73-89 June 1979 Guastoni, Alessandro; Pezzotta, Frederico and Zorzi, Frederico: Neufunde aus Alkali Pegmatiten am Mount Malosa Malawi Lapis 3 (2008) p. 38-41 {{Refend Lithium minerals Sodium minerals Orthorhombic minerals Minerals in space group 64 Inosilicates