LEUCOPHANITE

    Class : Silicates
    Subclass : Inosilicates
    Crystal system : Orthorhombic
    Chemistry : NaCaBeSi2O6F
    Rarity : Rare

Leucophanite is a rare silicate of beryllium, calcium and sodium. It is found in nepheline syenites and augite syenites as well as their pegmatites. Its name comes from the Greek leukos (white) and phainein (to appear) because of its whitish color. Leucophane forms small, short to tabular prismatic crystals not exceeding 3 cm, fibroradiated spherolites or small masses, yellowish white to greenish white, sometimes greenish yellow or pink-orange.

Main photo : Leucophanite from Poudrette Quarry, Mont St-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada © Stephan Wolfsried

10 cm leucophanite from Eikaholmen, Larvik, Vestfold, Norway © Knut Eldjarn
Leucophanite on serandite from Poudrette Quarry, Mont St-Hilaire, Canada © Knut Eldjarn
Leucophanite on aegyrine from Mont St-Hilaire, Canada © Michael J. Bainbridge
Twinned leucophanite from Mont St-Hilaire, Canada © Modris Baum

Leucophanite in the World

It is a mineral that is found especially in alkaline massifs and their borders. Mont St-Hilaire provided magnificent 4 cm crystals, the most beautiful known. Leucophanite is also reported in large crystals, over 20 cm in alkaline syenites of southern Norway (Langesundfjord and Larvik district) but less aesthetic. It is known from the Ilimaussaq complex near Narssaq (Greenland), as well as from the nepheline syenites of Lovozero (Kola, Russia).

Leucophanite in France

Leucophanite is not present in the French subsoil.

Twinning

Polysynthetic twins parallel to {110] are known as well as interpenetration twins.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes recorded for this mineral species.


Hardness : 4
Density : 2.96 to 3.07
Fracture : Irregular to conchoidal
Streak : White

TP : Translucent to transparent
RI : 1.571 to 1.598
Birefringence : 0.027
Optical character : Biaxial -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : Orange, pink, blue

Solubility : -

Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None

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