LÉVYNE

    Class : Silicates
    Subclass : Tectosilicates
    Crystal system : Trigonal
    Chemistry : (Ca,Na2,K2)Al2Si4O12 6H2O
    Rarity : Uncommon

Lévyne (or leveyne, or levynite) is an uncommon zeolite which occupies the cavities of basalts, along with other zeolites, notably offretite and erionite. It was named in honor of Armand Lévy, mathematician and crystallographer at the University of Liège and the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. Lévyne crystals are tabular to lamellar, with ridged faces and do not exceed 3 cm. They are frequently agglomerated in tufted aggregates or in sheaves and systematically show interpenetration twinning. They are colorless or white, sometimes light green, rarely pink-orange to yellow.

Main photo : Lévyne from Punta del Aguila, Playa Blanca, Canary Islands, Spain © Volker Betz

Lévyne from Rock Candy Mountain, Washington, USA © Douglas Merson
Lévyne from Hvaleyri, Iceland © Volker Betz
Lévyne from Middlehurst Station, New Zealand © Rod Martin
Lévyne from Burnt Cabin Creek, Oregon, USA © Volker Betz

Lévyne in the World

Lévyne deposits are numerous. Good transparent centimeter crystals are known in classic zeolite localities : the Faroe Islands (Sandoy, Streymoy), Iceland (Berufjord), the American basalts of Oregon (Goble, Spray, Fox) and Northern Ireland (Dungiven, Parkgate).

Lévyne in France

Lévyne is not present in the French underground.

Twinning

Interpenetration twins are common in this mineral species.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes recorded for this mineral species.


Hardness : 4 to 4.5
Density : 2.09 to 2.16
Fracture : Irregular to sub-conchoidal
Streak : White

TP : Translucent to transparent
RI : 1.487 to 1.510
Birefringence : 0.032
Optical character : Uniaxial -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None

Solubility : -

Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None

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