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| Chemistry:
(K,Ba)Al(Si,Al)3O8 | Discovered
in 1855;
IMA
status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered). The
name Hyalophane is from the Greek words hyalos
- "glass" and phanos - "to appear"
in allusion to the transparency of its crystals. |
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Classification
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Mineral
Classification: |
Silicates |
Strunz 8th
Ed. ID:
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8/J.06-50
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Nickel-Strunz 10th
Ed. ID:
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9.FA.30 |
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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;
Celsian-Hyalophan
Series,
Hyalophane-Orthoclase
Series
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Crystal
Data
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Crystallography:
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Monoclinic
- Prismatic
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Crystal
Habit:
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Crystals
similar to Adularia or Orthoclase, to 20 cm; also granular
or massive.
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Twinning:
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Commonly
simple twins according to the Carlsbad, Manebach, or
Baveno laws.
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Physical
Properties
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Cleavage: |
[001]
Perfect, [010] Imperfect
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Fracture: |
Uneven,
Conchoidal
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Tenacity:
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Brittle
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Hardness
(Mohs): |
6.0 - 6.5 |
Density:
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2.58
- 2.82 (g/cm3) |
Luminescence:
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None |
Radioactivity:
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Barely
Detectable,
GRapi = 9.71
(Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) |
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Optical
Properties
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Color: |
Colorless,
White, pale Yellow, Red
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Transparency: |
Transparent
to Translucent |
Luster: |
Vitreous |
Refractive
Index: |
1.542 - 1.547
Biaxial ( - ) |
Birefringence: |
0.005 |
Dispersion: |
Weak;
r > v |
Pleochroism: |
None
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Occurances
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Geological
Setting: |
Typically
associated with metamorphosed manganiferous rocks or
in mineral deposits rich in manganese. |
Common
Associations: |
Manganiferous
Epidote, Rhodonite, Rhodochrosite, Spessartine, Manganiferous
Tremolite, Plagioclase, Analcime. |
Type
Locality: |
Lengenbach Quarry, Im Feld (Imfeld; Feld; Fäld), Binn
Valley, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland |
Year
Discovered: |
1855 |
View
mineral photos: |
Hyalophane
Mineral Photos and Locations |
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More
Information
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|
Mindat.org Webmineral.com |
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Hyalophane is very rare gemstone and
a member of the Feldspar Group of minerals that also
includes Albite,
Amazonite,
Andesine, Anorthite, Bytownite, Hyalophane, Labradorite,
Moonstone,
Oligoclase, Orthoclase, Sanidine
and Sunstone.
It is usually found as translucent
to opaque crystals of colorless, white or pale yellow.
Crystals are rarely found clean enough for faceting.
The
only current source of these rare crystals is Busovaca, Bosnia.
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Hyalophane
gems for sale:
We
have not photographed our Hyalophane gems yet. Please
check back soon!
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