Zircophyllite
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Zircophyllite is a complex mineral, formula . It crystallizes in the triclinic – pinacoidal crystal class as dark brown to black micaceous plates. It has perfect 001 cleavage, a Mohs hardness of 4 to 4.5 and a specific gravity of 3.34. Its indices of refraction are nα=1.708 nβ=1.738 nγ=1.747 and it has a 2V optical angle of 62°. It occurs with natrolite in alkali
pegmatite A pegmatite is an igneous rock showing a very coarse texture, with large interlocking crystals usually greater in size than and sometimes greater than . Most pegmatites are composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica, having a similar silicic com ...
s. It was discovered in 1972 in the Korgeredabinsh massif, Tuva, Russia and is named for its zirconium content and its relationship to astrophyllite. It is also known from the Mont Saint-Hilaire intrusive complex of Québec, Canada. Zircophyllite is radioactive, but the radioactivity is barely detectable.


References

Inosilicates Potassium minerals Sodium minerals Manganese minerals Iron minerals Zirconium minerals Titanium minerals Niobium minerals Triclinic minerals Minerals in space group 2 Minerals described in 1972 {{silicate-mineral-stub