WELOGANITE
Class : Carbonates, nitrates, borates
Subclass : Hydrated carbonates
Crystal system : Monoclinic
Chemistry : Sr3Na2Zr(CO3)6 3H2O
Rarity : Very rare
Weloganite is an extremely rare strontium-zirconium carbonate that occurs in carbonatite intrusions in limestones where it is associated with calcite, barite, and zircon. It was named in honor of Sir Edmond Logan, first director of the Geological Survey of Canada. Weloganite forms pseudohexagonal prismatic crystals that are often polysynthetic, colorless to white or faintly colored yellow, blue, green, or gray.
Main photo : Weloganite from Francon Quarry, Montreal, Quebec, Canada © Nadya Georgieva
Weloganite in the World
Twinning
Twinning on [103] that can be repeated at 120° are known.
Fakes and treatments
No fakes listed for this mineral species.
Hardness : 3.5
Density : 3.20 to 3.22
Fracture : Conchoidal
Streak : White
TP : Translucent
RI : 1.558 to 1.646
Birefringence : 0.082
Optical character : Biaxial -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : Hydrochloric acid
Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None