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| Chkalovite
is named after Valerii Pavlovich Chkalov (1904-1938),
the first to fly nonstop from Moscow to the USA across
the North Pole.
| Discovered
in 1938;
IMA
status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered) |
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Chemistry
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Chemical
Formula: |
Na2Be(Si2O6)
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Sodium
Berylliom Silicate |
Molecular
Weight: |
207.16 gm
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Composition: |
Sodium |
22.20 % |
Na |
29.92 % |
Na2O |
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Beryllium |
4.35 % |
Be |
12.07 % |
BeO |
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Silicon |
27.11 % |
Si |
58.01 % |
SiO2 |
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Oxygen |
46.34 % |
O |
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|
|
100.00 % |
|
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.04-10
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Nickel-Strunz 10th
Ed. ID:
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9.DM.20
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9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates M : Inosilicates with 6-periodic single chains
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Related
to: |
n/a
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Varieties: |
None
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Synonyms: |
None
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Crystal
Data
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Crystallography:
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Orthorhombic
- Pyramidal |
Crystal
Habit:
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As
complex equant crystals, to 5 mm; massive.
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Twinning:
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None
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Physical
Properties
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Cleavage: |
Fair
on {100},
indistinct in two other directions
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Fracture: |
Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
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Tenacity:
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Brittle
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Moh's
Hardness: |
6.0
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Density:
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2.662 (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: |
Colorless,
White |
Transparency: |
Transparent
to Translucent |
Luster: |
Vitreous to Greasy
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Refractive
Index: |
1.544
- 1.549 Biaxial ( + ) |
Birefringence: |
0.0050
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Dispersion: |
Noticable
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Pleochroism: |
None
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Occurances
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Geological
Setting: |
In
veins in pegmatite in a differentiated alkalic massif
(Lovozero massif, Russia); in sodalite xenoliths in
an intrusive alkalic gabbro-syenite complex (Mont Saint-Hilaire,
Canada). |
Common
Associations: |
Manganoan
Pectolite, Microcline, Sodalite, Eudialyte, Neptunite,
Ussingite (Lovozero massif, Russia); Villiaumite, Ussingite,
Sodalite, Aegirine, Lovozerite, Vuonnemite, Sérandite,
Lueshite, Steenstrupine (Mont Saint-Hilaire, Canada).
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Common
Impurities: |
Fe,
Ca, K, S
|
Type
Locality: |
Malyi Punkaruaiv Mt, Lovozero Massif, Kola Peninsula,
Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region, Russia |
Year
Discovered: |
1938
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View
mineral photos: |
Chkalovite
Mineral Photos and Locations |
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More
Information
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|
Mindat.org
Webmineral.com
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Chkalovite is
a very rare beryllium silicate mineral that is found
only in igneous rocks that are rich in sodium and poor
in silicon and aluminum compared to other, more typical
igneous rocks. These types of igneous rocks are called
agpaitic pegmatites and it is where many new and exotic
minerals have been discovered. Chkalovite was discovered in 1938 on
Malyi Punkaruaiv Mountain, Kola Peninsula, Russia. It
is an extremely rare gem as gem quality crystals are
rarely found and are usually very small. Most material
is massive and opaque white.
There
are only three known sources of Chkalovite; Poudrette quarry Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville County, Québec, Canada;
Tasseq Slope, Ilimaussaq complex, Narsaq,
Kitaa Province (West Greenland), Greenland; Karnasurt Mt, Lovozero Massif, Kola Peninsula,
Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region, Russia.
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