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Parisite

 

Parisite

 

Discovered in 1835; IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered)

 

Chemistry

 

 

Chemical Formula:

Ca(Ce,La)2(CO3)3F2

 

Calcium Cerium Lanthanum Carbonare Fluoride

Molecular Weight:

537.24 gm

Composition:

Calcium

7.46 %

Ca

10.44 %

CaO

 

Lanthanum

23.27 %

La

27.29 %

La2O3

 

Cerium

28.69 %

Ce

33.60 %

Ce2O3

 

Carbon

6.71 %

C

24.58 %

CO2

 

Oxygen

26.80 %

O

 

 

 

Fluorine

7.07 %

F

7.07 %

F

 

 

-  %

F

-2.98 %

-O=F2

 

 

100.00 %

 

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

 

 

Classification

   

   

Mineral Classification:

Carbonates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

5/C.07-70

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

5.BD.20b

 

5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
B : Carbonates with additional anions, without H
2O
D : With rare earth elements (REE)

Related to:

The Ce-analogue of Parisite-(Nd) and Unnamed (La-analogue of Parisite-(Ce)).

Varieties:

None

Synonyms:

None

 

 

Crystal Data

   

   

Crystallography:

Trigonal - Pyramidal  (Monoclinic - Pseudohexagonal)

Crystal Habit:

Steep doubly-terminated pyramidal crystals, to 24 cm; many forms, but oscillatory and sceptered due to intergrowths with bastnasite-(Ce), synchysite-(Ce), rontgenite-(Ce), cordylite.

Twinning:

None

 

 

Physical Properties

   

 

Cleavage:

Distinct on {0001}

Fracture:

Splintery to Sub-Conchoidal

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

4.5

Density:

4.33 - 4.39 (g/cm3)

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent; may exhibit dark red cathodoluminescence

Radioactivity:

Weak; GRapi = 50,156.22 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Other:

Soluble in hot strong acids.

 

 

Optical Properties

   

   

Color:

Brownish yellow, orange, orange-brown, brown, wax-yellow, grayish yellow, lilac; colorless to yellow in transmitted light

Transparency:

Transparent to translucent

Luster:

Vitreous to resinous, pearly on {0001} parting

Refractive Index:

1.676 - 1.757  Uniaxial ( + )

Birefringence:

0.0810

Dispersion:

n/a

Pleochroism:

Weak; O = Light yellow, E = Golden yellow

 

 

Occurances

   

   

Geological Setting:

An accessory mineral in differentiated alkalic massifs, granite pegmatites, and RE-rich carbonatites.

Common Associations:

Bastnäsite, Synchysite, Cordylite, Ancylite, Calcite, Fluorite, Quartz

Common Impurities:

None

Type Locality:

Muzo, Vasquez-Yacopi Mining District, Boyacá Department, Colombia

Year Discovered:

1835

View mineral photos:

Parisite Mineral Photos and Locations

 

 

More Information

   

   

 

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

 

 

Parisite was named for J.J. Paris, former manager of the Muzo emerald mine, Muzo, Colombia. Parisite is one of a few rare earth carbonate minerals that also includes Bastnäsite and Burbankite. Parisite contains cerium and lanthanum in its chemical formula. Parisite is a very rare gem and usually very small due to lack of large, clean crystals.

Parisite was named after J.J. Paris, former manager of the Muzo emerald mine, Muzo, Colombia.

Distribution: Many localities, most minor. Fine crystals from the Muzo district, Boyacá Province, Colombia. In the USA, in Montana, very large crystals at the Snowbird deposit and the nearby Cedar Log prospect, Mineral County, and from Pyrites, 13 km east of Florence, Ravalli County; at Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. From Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. At Holmestrand, Vestfold, Norway. In the Trimouns talc deposit, six km northeast of Luzenac, Ari`ege, France. From Monterfano, Lombardy, Italy. Around Gallt y Wenallt, Gwynedd, Wales. In the Khibiny massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia. On Mt. Malosa, Zomba district, Malawi. At Ifasina, Torendrika, Madagascar. In the Lueshe carbonatite, 150 km north of Goma, Kivu Province, Congo (Zaire). At the Shirashi pegmatite, Kobe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. In the Bayan Obo Fe–Nb–RE deposit, 130 km north of Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China. At Nam Nam Xe, Vietnam.

Parisite gems for sale:

Parisite-001

Gem:

Parisite

Stock #:

PARIS-001

Weight:

0.0570 ct

Size:

2.06 x 1.53 mm

Shape:

Round

Color:

Golden Yellow

Clarity:

Eye clean

Origin:

Muzo, Colombia

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

SOLD

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Parisite-001

An extremely rare gem from Muzo, Colombia. This gem is especially bright since most Parisite crystals are dark brown.


 


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