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| 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) |
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Chemistry
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Chemical
Formula: |
Ca3B6O6(OH)12·2(H2O)
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Hydrated
Calcium Borate Hydroxide |
Molecular
Weight: |
521.21 gm
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Composition: |
Calcium |
23.07 % |
Ca |
32.28 % |
CaO |
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Boron |
12.44 % |
B |
40.07 % |
B2O3 |
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Hydrogen |
3.09 % |
H |
27.65 % |
H2O |
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Oxygen |
61.39 % |
O |
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100.00 % |
|
100.00 % |
= TOTAL OXIDE |
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Classification
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Mineral
Classification: |
Borates
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Strunz 8th
Ed. ID:
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5/H.09-10
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Nickel-Strunz 10th
Ed. ID:
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6.CA.50
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6 : BORATES C : Triborates A : Neso-triborates
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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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Monoclinic
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Crystal
Habit:
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Tabular
crystals, to 6 cm; granular.
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Twinning:
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None
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Physical
Properties
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Cleavage: |
[???]
Poor/Indistinct
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Fracture: |
Irregular/Uneven
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Tenacity:
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Brittle
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Moh's
Hardness: |
3.5
- 5.0
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Density:
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2.74
- 2.95 (g/cm3)
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Luminescence:
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Fluoresces
violet under LW UV. |
Radioactivity:
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Not
Radioactive
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Optical
Properties
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Color: |
Colorless
to Gray; Colorless in thin section.
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Transparency: |
Transparent
to Semi-Transparent |
Luster: |
Vitreous
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Refractive
Index: |
1.575
- 1.584
Biaxial ( + ); showing
anomalous interference colors
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Birefringence: |
0.009
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Dispersion: |
Weak to Strong; r > v |
Pleochroism: |
None
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Occurances
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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 |
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More
Information
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|
Mindat.org
Webmineral.com
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Nifontovite 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.
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Nifontovite
gems for sale:
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Gem:
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Nifontovite |
Stock
#:
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NIFON-001 |
Weight:
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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. |
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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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