| Elbaite | |
|---|---|
| Archivo:Pierre-img 0589.jpg | |
| General | |
| Category | Silicate mineral |
| Chemical formula | Na(LiAl)3Al6Si6O18(BO3)3(OH)4 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Green, red to pink, blue, orange, yellow, colorless, multicolored |
| Crystal habit | Prismatic; striated |
| Crystal system | Trigonal |
| Cleavage | Poor/Indistinct on {1120} and {1011} |
| Fracture | Sub Conchoidal |
| Mohs scale hardness | 7½ |
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Streak | White |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent to opaque |
| Density | 2.9 - 3.2 |
| Optical properties | Uniaxial (-) |
| Refractive index | nω = 1.635 - 1.650 nε = 1.615 - 1.632 |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.020 |
| References | [1][2] |
| Major varieties | |
| Achroite | colorless |
| Indicolite | blue |
| Rubellite | red to pink |
| Verdelite | green |
Elbaite, a sodium, lithium, aluminium borosilicate, is a mineral species belonging to the tourmaline group. Elbaite forms three series, with dravite, with liddicoatite, and with schorl. Due to these series specimens with the ideal end-member formula are not found occurring natually.
As a gemstone, elbaite is reckoned to be one of the most desirable of the tourmaline group because of the variety and depth of its colours and quality of the crystals. Originally discovered on the Island of Elba, Italy in 1913 it has since been found in many parts of the world. In 1994 a major locality was discovered in Canada, at O'Grady Lakes in the Yukon.
References[]
- ↑ http://www.mindat.org/min-1364.html Mindat
- ↑ http://webmineral.com/data/Elbaite.shtml Webmineral data
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es:Elbaita gl:Elbaíta it:Elbaite nl:Elbaiet pl:Elbait uk:Ельбаїт