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| Chemistry:
Ca2(Mg,Al)6(Si,Al,B)6O20 | Discovered
in 1902;
IMA
status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
The name is
from the old Arabic name, Serendib, for Sri Lanka (Ceylon).
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Classification
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Mineral
Classification: |
Silicates |
Strunz 8th
Ed. ID:
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8/F.14-60
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Nickel-Strunz 10th
Ed. ID:
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9.DH.40 |
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9 : SILICATES (Germanates) D : Inosilicates H :
Inosilicates with 4-periodic single chains, Si4O12
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Related
to: |
Aenigmatite Group:
Aenigmatite, Høgtuvaite,
Makarochkinite, Rhönite, Welshite, Wilkinsonite
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Crystal
Data
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Crystallography:
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Triclinic
- Pinacoidal
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Crystal
Habit:
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Rarely
in small tabular crystals; as anhedral grains, to 2
cm, and aggregates.
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Twinning:
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Polysynthetic
on [011], common
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Physical
Properties
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Cleavage: |
[001]
Good, [010] Good
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Fracture: |
Uneven,
Conchoidal
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Tenacity:
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Brittle
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Hardness
(Mohs): |
6.5 - 7.0
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Density:
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3.42
- 3.52 (g/cm3)
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Luminescence:
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None |
Radioactivity:
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Not
Radioactive |
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Optical
Properties
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Color: |
Grayish
Blue-Green to deep Blue, Green, Brown or Black; in transmitted
light, nearly Colorless to pale Yellow-Green or Blue
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Transparency: |
Transparent,
Translucent, Opaque |
Luster: |
Vitreous |
Refractive
Index: |
1.701
- 1.706 Biaxial ( + ) |
Birefringence: |
0.0050 |
Dispersion: |
r >
v; Strong to extremely Strong, may produce abnormal
interference colors |
Pleochroism: |
Strong;
X
= pale yellow, yellow-green to blue-green; Y
= almost colorless, pale yellow, blue, blue-green; Z
= light to dark blue
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Occurances
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Geological
Setting: |
In
skarns, affected by boron metasomatism, along the contact
between carbonate rocks and granite, tonalite, or granulite. |
Common
Associations: |
Apatite,
Calcite, Clinozoisite, Diopside, Forsterite, Grandidierite,
Graphite, Hyalophane, Pargasite, Phlogopite, Scapolite,
Sinhalite, Spinel, Tremolite, Uvite, Warwickite |
Type
Locality: |
Gangapitiya, Ambakotte, Central Province, Sri Lanka |
Year
Discovered: |
1902 |
View
mineral photos: |
Serendibite
Mineral Photos and Locations |
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More
Information
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Mindat.org Webmineral.com |
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Serendibite is a very rare gem that
comes in colors of dark blue, blue green, light
yellow and black. Most facetable crystals are very dark blue
to opaque black. Although Serendibite is found in
several locations around the world, the only current
gem sources are Mogok, Sagaing District, Mandalay Division, Burma
(Myanmar) and Gangapitiya, near Ambakotte, Sri Lanka. Other minor (and
usually non-gem) sources are on the Melville Peninsula,
Northwest Territories, Canada. In Russia, in the Tayozhnoye
iron deposit, 550 km south of Yakutsk, Yakutia. From
the Handeni district, Tanzania. At Ianapera and Ihosy,
Madagascar. In the USA, from near Johnsburg, Warren
County, Amity, near Warwick, Orange County, and
Russell, St. Lawrence County, New York; and in the New
City quarry, three km south of Riverside, Riverside
County, California, USA.
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Serendibite
gems for sale:
We
have not photographed the Serendibite gems. Please
check back soon.
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