Fluorocarltonite is a mineral from the group of silicates. Discovered by Irkutsk scientists from the A.P. Institute of Geochemistry Vinogradova SB RAS and IRNITU Ekaterina Kaneva and Tatyana Radomskaya [1] .
| Fluorocarltonite | |
|---|---|
| Formula | KNa4Ca4Si8O18 (CO3) 4F • H2O |
| Physical properties | |
| Colour | light blue to dark blue |
Content
Description
Fluorocarltonite was found on the border of the Irkutsk region and Yakutia in the charoite rock of the Murunskoye deposit. It has an unusual color - fluorocarltonite is characterized by a beautiful color with a rich palette of shades - from light blue to dark blue. Discoverers hope that jewelers and stone-cutters will be primarily interested in the mineral [2] .
The mineral has the chemical formula KNa4Ca4Si8O18 (CO3) 4F • H2O and belongs to the group of silicates with a layered structure. Fluorocarltonite occurs in charoite together with other minerals - purple charoite, gray-green pectolite, pale pink apophyllite and dark green pyroxene.
The mineral was given the name “fluorocarltonite” - it turned out to be a structural analogue of the mineral carltonite, but differs from it by the predominance of the fluorine element in its composition.
The discovery of the new mineral was confirmed at a meeting of the Commission of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA CNMNC) [3] .
At this moment, the only publicly available sample of this rare find is kept at the IRNITU Mineralogical Museum [4] .
See also
- Carltonite