Artinite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

  
Artinite was named in honor of Professor Ettore Artini (1866–1928), Italian mineralogist, University of Milan and Director of the Natural History Museum, Milan, Italy.

Discovered in 1902.   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

Mg₂(CO₃)(OH)₂•3(H₂O)

Hydrated Magnesium Carbonate Hydroxide

Molecular Weight:

196.68 gm

Composition:

Magnesium

24.72 %

Mg

40.98 %

MgO

Hydrogen

4.10 %

H

36.64 %

H₂O

Carbon

6.11 %

C

22.38 %

CO₂

Oxygen

65.08 %

O

100.00 %

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Carbonates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

5/E.01-40

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

5.DA.10

5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
D : Carbonates with additional anions, with H₂O
A : With medium-sized cations

Related to:

Possible dimorph of UM1987-01-CO:HMgS

Varieties:

Cuproartinite

Synonyms:

None

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Monoclinic

Crystal Habit:

Typically acicular along [010], to 2.5 cm, forming cross-fiber veinlets, botyroidal masses or crusts of silky fibers, and spherical or bow tie aggregates of divergent crystals.

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

Perfect on {100}, Good on {001}

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

2.5

Density:

2.01 - 2.03 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

None

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Other:

Readily soluble with effervescence in cold acids.

Optical Properties

Color:

White; Colorless in transmitted light

Transparency:

Translucent to Transparent

Luster:

Vitreous, Silky to Satiny in aggregates

Refractive Index:

1.488 - 1.557  Biaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.0680

Dispersion:

None

Pleochroism:

None

Other:

Optic axis nearly perpendicular to {100}

Occurances

Geological Setting:

A low-temperature mineral in weathered or altered ultramafic rocks, typically serpentinites, likely occurring worldwide.

Common Associations:

Serpentine, Brucite, Hydromagnesite, Pyroaurite, Chrysotile, Aragonite, Calcite, Dolomite, Magnesite.

Common Impurities:

None

Type Locality:

Franscia Mine, Campo Franscia, Lanterna Valley, Malenco Valley, Sondrio Province, Lombardy, Italy

Year Discovered:

1902

View mineral photos:

Artinite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Artinite is a fairly rare carbonate mineral that is extremely rare as a faceted gem. This is due to the fact that Artinite typically forms as crusts of acicular to fibrous aggregates often formed into tight perfectly spherical balls. It is almost always associated with ultra-basic igneous and metamorphic rocks such as serpentine. Artinite mineral specimens can be very attractive with snow white fibrous balls sitting on a jade green serpentine matrix.

Artinite is found in numerous locations worldwide. Well-studied or good specimen material, from: Italy, in Lombardy, from the Franscia asbestos mine, at Torre Santa Maria and Rocca Castellaccio, Val Lanterna, all in Val Malenco; at Emarese and Cogne, Val d’Aosta, Piedmont; from Viu, near Fubina, Val di Lanzo; and on Mont Ramazzo, north of Borzoli, Liguria. From Kraubath, Styria, Austria. Near Javornica, Bulgaria. In the USA, in California, from northwest of Coalinga, Fresno County and into San Benito County, as fine examples at the Clear Creek mine, west of San Benito Mountain, and elsewhere in the New Idria district; at the Gabbs mine, Gabbs district, Nye County, Nevada; from Spring Street, Staten Island, New York; at Signal Hill, Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey; in the Belvidere Mountain quarry, Orleans County, Vermont. In Japan, from Nakauri, Aichi Prefecture, at Hirotani, Fukuoka Prefecture, and along the Utonai River, Hokkaido. From the Ijim massif, Sayan Mountains, Siberia, Russia.
 

  
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