Elbaite Mineral Data

Elbaite Mineral Data +

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General Elbaite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 916.68 gm

Sodium 2.51 % Na 3.38 % Na₂O

Lithium 1.89 % Li 4.07 % Li₂O

Aluminum 19.13 % Al 36.15 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 18.38 % Si 39.33 % SiO₂

Boron 3.54 % B 11.39 % B₂O₃

Hydrogen 0.44 % H 3.93 % H₂O

Oxygen 54.11 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 98.25 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

NaLi_2.5Al_6.5(BO₃)₃Si₆O₁₈(OH)₄

Environment:

Granitic pegmatites characterized by hydrothermal replacement.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1908 (Dana # Changed)

Locality:

Island of Elba, Italy. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after its locality.

Synonym:

Achroite - colorless

Elbaite - (61.3.1.6)

ICSD 9252

Indicolite - blue

PDF 49-1833

Rubellite - red or pink

Verdelite - green

Elbaite Image

Images:

Elbaite

Comments: Doubly terminated tri-color elbaite (tourmaline) with minor white clevelandite (albite).
Location: Himalaya mine, San Diego County, California, USA. Scale: 3 x 1.5 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Elbaite

Comments: Gemmy-blue crystal of elbaite (Indicolite) tourmaline.
Location: Morro Redondo Mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Scale: Crystal size 8.5 cm.
© Kevin Ward

Elbaite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.44847

Cell Dimensions:

a = 15.838, c = 7.103, Z = 3; V = 1,543.03 Den(Calc)= 2.96

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Ditrigonal PyramidalH-M Symbol (3m) Space Group: R 3m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.576(1), 2.961(0.85), 3.99(0.85),

Forms:

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Forms: [ 0 2 1] [ 1 0 1] [ 1 2 0] [ 1 0 0] [ 1 0 1] [ 0 2 1]

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Crystal Structure:

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Bosi F , Agrosi G , Lucchesi S , Melchiorre G , Scandale E , American Mineralogist , 90 (2005) p.1661-1668, Mn-tourmaline from island of Elba (Italy): Crystal chemistry., Sample: Elb2rim

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Elbaite
[1] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [2] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Physical Properties of Elbaite

Cleavage:

[1011] Indistinct

Color:

Blue, Colorless, Green, Yellow, White.

Density:

2.9 - 3.2, Average = 3.05

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent to opaque

Fracture:

Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Habit:

Striated - Parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face.

Hardness:

7.5 - Garnet

Luminescence:

Piezoelectric.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Elbaite

Dichroism (e):

colorless.

Dichroism (w):

colorless.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.028 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.002 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2139,KPDmeas= 0.2075,KC= 0.2134

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.615-1.632, w=1.635-1.65, bire=0.0180-0.0200.

Calculated Properties of Elbaite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.93 gm/cc
note: r_Elbaite=2.96 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.0173
Boson Index = 0.9827

Photoelectric:

PE_Elbaite= 1.38 barns/electron
U=PE_Elbaite x r_electron= 4.03 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Elbaite is Not Radioactive

Elbaite Classification

Dana Class:

61.3d.1.8 (61)Cyclosilicate Six-Membered Rings

(61.3d)with borate groups (Lithian Tourmaline Subgroup)

(61.3d.1)Dana Group

61.3d.1.7 Olenite! NaAl3Al6(BO3)3(Si6O18)(O,OH)4 R 3m 3m

61.3d.1.8 Elbaite ! Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m

Strunz Class:

VIII/E.19-10 VIII - Silicates

VIII/E - Cyklosilicates, six rings [Si6O18]12-

VIII/E.19 - Tourmaline group

VIII/E.19-05 Rossmanite! []LiAl2Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-10 Elbaite Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-15 Magnesiofoitite! [](Mg2Al)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-20 Dravite NaMg3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-30 Chromdravite! NaMg3(Cr,Fe)6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-35 Vanadiumdravite! NaMg3V6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-50 Schorl NaFe3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-55 Foitite! []Na<0.5(Fe,Al)3Al6Si6O18(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-60 Olenite! NaAl3Al6(BO3)3(Si6O18)(O,OH)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-70 Buergerite! NaFe3Al6(BO3)3Si6O21F R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-75 Povondraite! (Na,K)(Fe,Fe)3(Fe,Mg,Al)6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-80 Liddicoatite! Ca(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(O,OH,F)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-90 Uvite (Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe)3Al5Mg(BO3)3Si6O18(OH,F)4 R 3m 3m

VIII/E.19-100 Feruvite! (Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Ti)3(Al,Mg,Fe)6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m

Other Elbaite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)

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Elbaite

Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4
Dana No: 61.3d.1.8 Strunz No: VIII/E.19-10
Locality:

Notes: