Spurrite Mineral Data

General Spurrite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca5(SiO4)2(CO3)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 444.57 gm

Calcium 45.08 % Ca 63.07 % CaO

Silicon 12.64 % Si 27.03 % SiO₂

Carbon 2.70 % C 9.90 % CO₂

Oxygen 39.59 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₅(SiO₄)₂(CO₃)

Environment:

Contact zone between limestone and diorite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1908

Locality:

Velardena mining district, Mexico. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Josiah Edward Spurr (1870-1950), American geologist.

Name Pronunciation:

Spurrite

Synonym:

ICSD 25830

PDF 13-496

Spurrite Image

Images:

Spurrite Bredigite

Comments: White veins of bredigite in massive gray spurrite (slabbed specimen).
Location: Camphouse, Ardnamurchan, Argyll, Highland, Scotland. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Spurrite

Comments: Dark to light purple massive spurrite (cut face).
Location: South Sister Peak, Tres Hermanas Mountains, Luna County, New Mexico, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Spurrite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.5645:1:2.1103

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.49, b = 6.705, c = 14.15, Z = 4; beta = 101.317° V = 975.90 Den(Calc)= 3.03

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/a

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.701(1), 2.646(0.65), 2.667(0.6),

Crystal Structure:

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Grice J D , The Canadian Mineralogist , 43 (2005) p.1489-1500, The structure of spurrite, tilleyite and scawtite,, and relationships to other silicate-carbonate minerals, Locality: Cornet Hill, Apuseni Mountains, Romania

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Spurrite
[1]

Physical Properties of Spurrite

Cleavage:

{100} Distinct

Color:

Gray, Gray white, Lilac gray.

Density:

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent

Habit:

Cleaveable - Easily cleaved into fragments.

Habit:

Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.

Habit:

Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luminescence:

Luminescence, Short UV=Green.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Spurrite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.058 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.048 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2195,KPDmeas= 0.2217,KC= 0.2096
Ncalc = 1.63

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.64-1.641, b=1.674-1.676, g=1.679-1.681, bire=0.0390-0.0400

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Pleochroism (z):

colorless.

Calculated Properties of Spurrite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.03 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Spurrite =3.03 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0069962935
Boson Index = 0.9930037065

Photoelectric:

PE_Spurrite= 6.04 barns/electron
U=PE_Spurrite x rElectron Density= 18.27 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Spurrite Classification

Dana Class:

53.01.01.01 (53)Nesosilicate Insular SiO4 Groups and Other Anions of Complex Cations

(53.01)with (CO3)

(53.01.01)Dana Group

53.01.01.01 Spurrite Ca5(SiO4)2(CO3) P 2₁/a 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.AH.15 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.A - Nesosilicates

09.AH -Nesosilicates with CO3, SO4, PO4, etc.

09.AH.15 Paraspurrite Ca5(SiO4)2(CO3) P 2₁/a 2/m

09.AH.15 Spurrite Ca5(SiO4)2(CO3) P 2₁/a 2/m

Other Spurrite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic2) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990;Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)

See Also:

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

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Ask about Spurrite 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 Spurrite Specimen Label here :

Spurrite

Ca5(SiO4)2(CO3)
Dana No: 53.01.01.01 Strunz No: 09.AH.15
Locality:

Notes: