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Nifontovite
Current inventory:  1 gem
 

Nifontovite

  
Nifontovite is named in honor of Roman Vladimirovich Nifontov (1901–1960), Russian geologist who studied sedimentary and placer deposits.

Discovered in 1961;   IMA status:  Valid (IMA approved 1961)

 

Chemistry

 

 

Chemical Formula:

Ca3B6O6(OH)12·2(H2O)

 

Hydrated Calcium Borate Hydroxide

Molecular Weight:

521.21 gm

Composition:

Calcium

23.07 %

Ca

32.28 %

CaO

 

Boron

12.44 %

B

40.07 %

B2O3

 

Hydrogen

3.09 %

H

27.65 %

H2O

 

Oxygen

61.39 %

O

 

 

 

 

100.00 %

 

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

 

 

Classification

   

   

Mineral Classification:

Borates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

5/H.09-10

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

6.CA.50

 

6 : BORATES
C : Triborates
A : Neso-triborates

Related to:

n/a

Varieties:

None

Synonyms:

None

 

 

Crystal Data

   

   

Crystallography:

Monoclinic

Crystal Habit:

Tabular crystals, to 6 cm; granular.

Twinning:

None

 

 

Physical Properties

   

 

Cleavage:

[???] Poor/Indistinct

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

3.5 - 5.0

Density:

2.74 - 2.95 (g/cm3)

Luminescence:

Fluoresces violet under LW UV.

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

 

 

Optical Properties

   

   

Color:

Colorless to Gray; Colorless in thin section.

Transparency:

Transparent to Semi-Transparent

Luster:

Vitreous

Refractive Index:

1.575 - 1.584  Biaxial ( + ); showing anomalous interference colors

Birefringence:

0.009

Dispersion:

Weak to Strong; r > v

Pleochroism:

None

 

 

Occurances

   

   

Geological Setting:

In a skarn formed by quartz diorite intruding limestone (Novofrolovskoye deposit, Russia); near gehlenite-spurrite skarn (Fuka, Japan).

Common Associations:

Calciborite, Calcite, Dolomite, Grossular–Andradite, Sibirskite, Szaibélyite (Novofrolovskoye deposit, Russia); Calcite, Olshanskyite, Pentahydroborite, Sibirskite (Fuka, Japan)

Common Impurities:

None

Type Locality:

Novofrolovskoye B-Cu deposit, Turjinsk, Turya river, Krasnoturjinsk (Bogolovsk; Krasnotur'insk; Krasnoturyinsk), Ekaterinburgskaya (Sverdlovskaya) Oblast', Middle Urals, Urals Region, Russia

Year Discovered:

1961 (IMA approved 1961)

View mineral photos:

Nifontovite Mineral Photos and Locations

 

 

More Information

   

   

 

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

 

 


Nifontov
ite is a very rare Borate mineral that was discovered in 1961 in the Northern Ural Mountains of Russia. Gems are extremely rare. Until a recent find in Mexico, Nifontovite was rarely found in the Fuka mine, Okayama Prefecture on Honshu Island, Japan as opaque, lamellar aggregate material. The crystals recently found in Charcas, San Luis Potosí, Mexico are stunning, perfectly transparent, vitreous (glassy) gem crystals that are colorless and have a perfect termination.

Nifontovite is found in only three localities in the world: the Type Locality at Novofrolovskoye copper deposit, near Krasnoturinsk, Turinsk district, Northern Ural Mountains, Russia; Fuka mine, Bitchu-cho, Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture, Chugoku Region, Honshu Island, Japan; and relatively large, transparent crystals from Charcas, Mun. de Charcas, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
 

  
Nifontovite gems for sale:

Nifontovite-001

Gem:

Nifontovite

Stock #:

NIFON-001

Weight:

0.1560 ct

Size:

6.88 x 1.96 x 1.75 mm

Shape:

Rectangle

Color:

Colorless

Clarity:

Eye clean

Origin:

Charcas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

$145.00    [ Make offer ]

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Nifontovite-001

This rare gem is from the first find of facet grade Nifontovite crystals since Dr. Pough's find in 1940. There were a very limited number of clean crystals found and the majority of them were snatched up by mineral collectors. A very few were obtained for faceting so this one is a true rarity!

 

 


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