Co-type
Localities: |
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Brüder Lorenz Mine, Breitenbrunn, Breitenbrunn District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
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Friedefürst Mine, Breitenbrunn, Breitenbrunn District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
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Helvine,
also known as Helvite, is a rare manganese silicate
sulfide mineral that is a member of the Helvine
Group
of minerals that also includes Danalite, Genthelvite, Helvine and Tugtupite.
Helvine
is also considered to be a Feldspathoid.
Minerals with chemistries that are close to
those of the alkalai Feldspars, but are poor in silica
(SiO2)
content, are called Feldspathoids. Helvine
is named from
the Greek word 'helvus' for
yellow
or sun,
in allusion to its color. The IMA officially recognized name (2012
IMA list) is
Helvine, not
Helvite, although the synonym Helvite may be more common in collections
and literature. Helvine can be found in colors
of yellow,
pink, reddish brown or red, grayish yellow and yellowish
green. Faceted Helvine gems are very rare and usually
small but fairly lage Quartz gems with Helvine crystal
inclusions
are occassionally available. One thing that Helvine
and Quartz have in common is that they are both Pyroelectric.
Pyroelectricity is the ability of certain mineral
crystals to generate an electrical
potential when they are heated or cooled.
Helvine can be found at the following localities:
from Schwarzenberg
and Breitenbrunn, Saxony, Germany. Exceptionally large
crystals from Yxsjö, Örebro, Sweden. At Luppikko, Karelia.
In Russia, near Miass, Ilmen Mountains, Southern Ural
Mountains. From the Inyl'chek Mountains, Tien Shan,
southeastern Kyrgyzstan. At Kara-Oba, Kazakhstan. From
the Langesundsfjord, at Hørtekollen, and several other
localities in Norway. In Finland, at Pitkäranta. In
the USA, at Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana; from
Amelia, Amelia County, Virginia; in the American Tunnel,
Silverton, San Juan County, Colorado; on the east fork
of Benedict Creek, Sawtooth Mountains, Boise County,
Idaho; from the Clark vein, Rincon, San Diego County,
California; at Iron Mountain, Sierra County, New Mexico.
At the Navegadora Mine (Navegador Mine; Orozimbo Mine), Penha do Norte, Conselheiro Pena, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
In China at Tongbei, Yunxiao County, Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province.
In the Hongo mine, Iwate Prefecture; the Oashi mine,
Tochigi Prefecture; the Yagisawa mine, Nagano Prefecture;
and several other places in Japan. In the Kara #1 Pit, Kara Mines, Hampshire district, Tasmania, Australia.
A few additional localities are known.
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