LORENZENITE

    Class : Silicates
    Subclass : Inosilicates
    Crystal system : Orthorhombic
    Chemistry : Na2Ti2Si2O9
    Rarity : Rare to very rare

Lorenzenite (formerly called ramsayite) is a rare silicate of nepheline syenites and their pegmatites, exceptionally olivine basalts (Tenerife, Canary Islands). It was named in honor of Johannes Theodor Lorenzen, a Danish mineralogist who was particularly interested in the minerals of Greenland. Lorenzenite occurs in crystals of varied habit : prismatic lamellar to acicular, equant, 6 cm maximum, usually forming fibroradiated to fibrous, lamellar or felted aggregates. The dominant color is brown to black, but purplish, pinkish-gray to pink, even light blue, green, white, gray or colorless shades are also recorded.


Main photo : Lorenzenite from Selsurt Mountain, Lovozersky, Russia © Modris Baum

Lorenzenite from Selsurt Mountain, Lovozersky, Russia © Boris Z. Kantor
Lorenzenite from Poudrette quarry, Mont St-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada © Stephan Wolfsried
Lorenzenite from Poudrette quarry, Mont St-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada © Stephan Wolfsried
Lorenzenite from Poudrette quarry, Mont St-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada © Christophe Boutry

Lorenzenite in the World

Superb colorless, pink or purple acicular crystals were discovered at Mont St-Hilaire (Quebec, Canada) and very beautiful brown crystals in the nepheline syenite massif of Khibiny (Kola, Russia), it is also known at Lovozero. It is a mineral also represented in sodalite syenites of Greenland (Narssarssuaq near Narssaq) and southern Norway in the Langesundfjord district. In the United States, lorenzenite is only known from the nepheline syenite of Point of Rocks (New Mexico).

Lorenzenite in France

Lorandite is not present in the French underground.

Twinning

No twins known for this mineral species.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes recorded for this mineral species.


Hardness : 6
Density : 3.42 to 3.45
Fracture : Irregular
Streak : White to pale brown

TP : Opaque to transparent
RI : 1.910 to 2.060
Birefringence : 0.120
Optical character : Biaxial -
Pleochroism : Low
Fluorescence : Yellow to green

Solubility : -

Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None

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