Leifite Mineral Data

[Fine Minerals] [What's New] [Mineral Galleries] [My Collection] [Mineral Auctions]
Weinrich Minerals, Inc
Full-time professional mineral dealer with over 31 years experience in mineral collecting
And 15 years selling mineral specimens on the internet and at major mineral shows

General Leifite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na2(Si,Al,Be)7(O,OH,F)14

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 425.47 gm

Sodium 10.81 % Na 14.57 % Na₂O

Beryllium 1.48 % Be 4.11 % BeO

Aluminum 13.32 % Al 25.16 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 23.76 % Si 50.84 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.76 % H 6.77 % H₂O

Oxygen 43.62 % O

Fluorine 6.25 % F 6.25 % F

- % F -2.63 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 105.08 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₂Si_3.6Al_2.1Be_0.7O_8.4(OH)_3.2F_1.4

Environment:

Cavities in alkali-pegmatite veins.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1915

Locality:

Narsarsuk, Greenland. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the tenth-century Norse mariner and explorer Leif Ericson.

Name Pronunciation:

Leifite

Synonym:

ICSD 2031

PDF 27-1

Leifite Image

Images:

Leifite

Comments: Tan translucent crystal spray of leifite in syenite rock.
Location: Lovozero Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmansk District, Russia. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Leifite

Comments: Snow white, prismatic, crystal aggregate of leifite.
Location: Poudrette Quarry, Mont St. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. Scale: 3x1cm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Leifite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.3382

Cell Dimensions:

a = 14.361, c = 4.857, Z = 3; V = 867.50 Den(Calc)= 2.44

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Hexagonal ScalenohedralH-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: P 3m1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.151(1), 3.375(0.7), 4.698(0.4),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Sokolova E V , Huminicki D M C , Hawthorne F C , Agakhanov A A , Pautov L A , Grew E S , The Canadian Mineralogist , 40 (2002) p.183-192, The crystal chemistry of telyushenkoite and leifite, A Na6[Be2Al3Si15O39F2],, A = Cs, Na

Physical Properties of Leifite

Cleavage:

{???} Good, {???} Good

Color:

Colorless, White.

Density:

2.57

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Habit:

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

Habit:

Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.

Hardness:

6 - Orthoclase

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Leifite

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (+), w=1.5117, e=1.5224, bire=0.0107.

Calculated Properties of Leifite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.42 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Leifite =2.44 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Leifite= 1.51 barns/electron
U=PE_Leifite x rElectron Density= 3.66 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Leifite is Not Radioactive

Leifite Classification

Dana Class:

78.07.10.01 (78)Unclassified silicates

(78.07)wholly unclassified silicates

(78.07.10)Dana Group

78.07.10.01 Leifite Na2(Si,Al,Be)7(O,OH,F)14 P 3m1 3 2/m

78.07.10.02 Telyushenkoite! CsNa6[Be2(Si,Al)18O39F2] P 3m1 3 2/m

78.07.10.03 Eirikite! KNa6Be2(Si15Al3)O39F2 P 3m1 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.EH.25 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.E - Phyllosilicates

09.EH -Transitional structures between phyllosilicate and other silicate units

09.EH.25 Leifite Na2(Si,Al,Be)7(O,OH,F)14 P 3m1 3 2/m

09.EH.25 Telyushenkoite! CsNa6[Be2(Si,Al)18O39F2] P 3m1 3 2/m

09.EH.25 Eirikite! KNa6Be2(Si15Al3)O39F2 P 3m1 3 2/m

Other Leifite Information

References:

NAME( Ford32) PHYS. PROP.(AmMin, Vol 88, p 255) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Leifite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - EUROmin Project
7 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
8 - GeoScienceWorld
9 - Google Images
10 - Google Scholar
11 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
12 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
13 - MinDAT
14 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
15 - Online Mineral Museum
16 - QUT Mineral Atlas
17 - Ruff.Info
18 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Leifite using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [bing] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Scirus] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Leifite :

B & L Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Auctions

John Betts Fine Minerals

Lapis Mineral Journal

Mineral News

UV Tools

Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Leifite Mineral Data :

Ask about Leifite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Leifite Specimen Label here :

Leifite

Na2(Si,Al,Be)7(O,OH,F)14
Dana No: 78.07.10.01 Strunz No: 09.EH.25
Locality:

Notes: