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Kernite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

Chemistry:  Na₂B₄O₆(OH)₃·3(H₂O)

Discovered in 1927;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
Kernite is named for Kern County, California where it was discovered at Rich Station, Boron, Kramer District, Kern County, California, USA.

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Borates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

5/J.05-10

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

6.DB.05

6 : BORATES
D : Tetraborates
B : Ino-tetraborates

Related to:

Kernite Series

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Monoclinic - Prismatic

Crystal Habit:

Crystals commonly nearly equant, with over 30 forms noted; typically as cleavable masses, to 3.5 m, bent or warped; massive.

Twinning:

On [011]

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

[100] Perfect, [001] Perfect, [201] Fair

Fracture:

Splintery

Tenacity:

Brittle; flexible and elastic in cleavage fragments

Hardness (Mohs):

2.5

Density:

1.906 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

None

Radioactivity:

Not Radioacitve

Other:

Slowly soluble in cold water, readily so in hot water.

Optical Properties

Color:

Colorless, White

Transparency:

Transparent to Translucent

Luster:

Vitreous, Satiny on fibrous cleavages

Refractive Index:

1.454 - 1.488  Biaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.0340

Dispersion:

Distinct; r > v

Pleochroism:

X = colorless, Y = colorless, Z = colorless

Occurances

Geological Setting:

An important ore mineral of borax in sedimentary borate deposits, deposited under warm conditions or formed by metamorphism.

Common Associations:

Borax, Colemanite, Inyoite, Ulexite

Type Locality:

Rich Station, Boron, Kramer District, Kern County, California, USA

Year Discovered:

1927

View mineral photos:

Kernite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Kernite is a very rare borate mineral and rarely faceted. Kernite could be considered a metamorphic mineral since it is thought to form from the recrystalization of the mineral borax as a result of mild heat and pressure. Borax is an evaporate mineral deposited in arid regions from runoff waters rich in the element Boron.

There are only a couple sources for Kernite but the main source for facetable crystals is from the Kramer borate deposite, Boron, Kern County, California, USA which is also the Type Locality.
 

  
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