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Andesine (variety of Albite, Feldspar)
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Discovered in 1841; IMA status: Not Valid (a variety of Albite, Feldspar)
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Chemistry
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Chemical
Formula: |
(Na,Ca)[Al(Si,Al)Si2O8]
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Sodium
Calcium Aluminum Silicate |
Molecular
Weight: |
521.21 gm
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Composition: |
Sodium |
5.14 % |
Na |
6.92 % |
Na2O |
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Calcium |
5.97 % |
Ca |
8.35 % |
CaO |
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Aluminum |
14.06 % |
Al |
26.57 % |
Al2O3 |
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Silicon |
27.18 % |
Si |
58.16 % |
SiO2 |
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Oxygen |
47.65 % |
O |
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100.00 % |
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100.00 % |
= TOTAL OXIDE |
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Classification
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Mineral
Classification: |
Silicates
(Germanates)
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Strunz 8th
Ed. ID:
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8/J.07-40
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Nickel-Strunz 10th
Ed. ID:
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9.FA.35
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9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
F : Tektosilicates without zeolitic H2O
A : Tektosilicates without additional non-tetrahedral anions
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Related
to: |
Feldspar
Group. Plagioclase Series. Low- and high-temperature
structural modifications are recognized.
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Members
of Group: |
Feldspar
Group: Albite, Andesine, Anorthoclase, Banalsite, Buddingtonite,
Bytownite, Celsian, Dmisteinbergite, Hyalophane, Labradorite,
Microline, Oligoclase, Orthoclase, Paracelsian, Reedmergnerite,
Sanidine, Slawsonite, Stronalsite, Svyatoslavite
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Varieties: |
None
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Synonyms: |
Andesite
(of Dana)
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Crystal
Data
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Crystallography:
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Triclinic - Pinacoidal
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Crystal
Habit:
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Crystals
rare, to 2 cm; commonly massive, cleavable, or granular.
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Twinning:
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Commonly
twinned after Albite, Pericline, and Carlsbad laws.
Also twinned after a law similar to the Manebach law.
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Physical
Properties
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Cleavage: |
Perfect
on {001}, less Perfect on {010}, {110} observed
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Fracture: |
Irregular/Uneven
to Conchoidal
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Tenacity:
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Brittle
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Moh's
Hardness: |
6.0
- 6.5
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Density:
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2.66
- 2.68 (g/cm3)
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Luminescence:
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None
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Radioactivity:
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Not
Radioactive
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Optical
Properties
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Color: |
White, Grayish, Green,
Yellow, Reddish, Orangish-Red, Red |
Transparency: |
Transparent
to Translucent |
Luster: |
Subvitreous
to Pearly |
Refractive
Index: |
1.543 - 1.562 Biaxial
( +/- ) |
Birefringence: |
0.0080
- 0.0090 |
Dispersion: |
Weak, r > v
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Pleochroism: |
None
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Occurances
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Geological
Setting: |
Widespread
in igneous rocks of intermediate silica content, as
syenites and andesites. Characteristic of granulite
to amphibolite facies metamorphism, commonly as antiperthite;
as detrital grains in sedimentary rocks. |
Common
Associations: |
Quartz,
Potassic Feldspar, Biotite, Hornblende, Magnetite
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Common
Impurities: |
None
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Type
Locality: |
Marmato Mine, Marmato, Cauca, Chocó Department,
Colombia |
Year
Discovered: |
1841
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View
mineral photos: |
Andesine
Mineral Photos and Locations |
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More
Information
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Mindat.org
Webmineral.com
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Andesine is a
variety of Albite and
a member of the Feldspar Group of minerals that includes Albite,
Amazonite,
Andesine, Anorthite, Bytownite, Hyalophane, Labradorite,
Moonstone,
Oligoclase, Orthoclase, Sanidine
and Sunstone. Andesine is an intermediate member of the Plagioclase
Feldspars in a solid solution series between Albite
and Anorthite and close to
Labradorite. It is a common rock building mineral but
crystals are rare.
Andesine was named in 1841 by Otto Wilhelm Herman von Abich (1806–1886) for the Andes Mountains of South America where it is abundant in the lavas.
Sources
of gem quality Andesine crystals are from recent finds
in Congo, China and Tibet. A small find in 2002
in the Goma area of the Democratic Republic of Congo
produced a relatively small quantity of beautiful red,
green and yellow gems. The China Andesine is not as
intense red as the Congo material, more of an orangish-red.
Another find of gem quality crystals occurred in Tibet
in 2005. This material, also called Tibet Sunstone,
is more of a yellow to greenish-yellow base color with
weak to strong coppery overtones. The Tibet Andesine
has very different look from the intense red of
the Congo Andesine, but still makes very beautiful and
unique gems.
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Andesine
gems for sale:
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Gem:
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Andesine
(Feldspar) |
Stock
#:
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ANDES-001 |
Weight:
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0.4930
ct |
Size: |
5.47
x 3.54 mm |
Shape: |
Round |
Color: |
Red |
Clarity: |
Loupe
clean |
Origin: |
Unknown |
Treatment: |
Unknown |
Price: |
$64.00 |
Pictures
are of the actual gem offered for
sale. Gem images are magnified to
show detail. |
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A
rare and beautiful, very well
cut, very bright red gem from the Democratic
Republic of Congo.
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Gem:
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Andesine
(Feldspar) |
Stock
#:
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ANDES-002 |
Weight:
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0.6295
ct |
Size: |
6.06
x 5.96
x 3.77 mm |
Shape: |
Trillion |
Color: |
Orangish-Red |
Clarity: |
Eye
clean |
Origin: |
Unknown |
Treatment: |
Unknown |
Price: |
$70.00 |
Pictures
are of the actual gem offered for
sale. Gem images are magnified to
show detail. |
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A
rare and beautiful, very bright orangish-red,
very well
cut gem from China.
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