ROEDDERITE
Class : Silicates
Subclass : Cyclosilicates
Crystal system : Hexagonal
Chemistry : (Na,K)2(Mg,Fe)5Si12O30
Rarity : Very rare
Roedderite is a very rare silicate that forms a series with eifelite. It is found in highly metamorphic xenoliths brought to the surface by leucite tephrites, and in meteorites (chondrites and octahedrites). It was named in honor of Edwin Woods Roedder, a geologist at the US Geological Survey. Roedderite crystals are lamellae and short hexagonal prisms that do not exceed 6 mm, they are usually colorless, yellowish or slightly brownish, rarely blue-green to dark blue.
Main photo : Roedderite from Sierra de las Cabras, Spain © Juan Miguel Segura
Roedderite in the World
Twinning
No twinning known for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fakes listed for this mineral species.
Hardness : 5 to 6
Density : 2.6
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : White
TP : Translucent to transparent
RI : 1.536 to 1.547
Birefringence : 0.001
Optical character : Uniaxial +
Pleochroism : Visible
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : -
Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None