Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0 [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The only reported cut catapleiite is from Mte. Ste. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada, in the form of tiny colorless gems.
Catapleiite Information
| Data | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Catapleiite |
| Colors | Light yellow, yellowish brown, brown, salmon-pink, yellowish red. Rarely pale blue or colorless. |
| Hardness | 5 - 6 |
| Fracture | Irregular to uneven, also parting |
| Cleavage | Perfect 1 direction, imperfect 2 directions |
| Stone Sizes | Gems under 1 carat have been cut from Canadian material. |
| Formula | Na2ZrSi3O9· 2H2O; Dimorphous with Gaidonnayite |
| Crystallography | Hexagonal; crystals thin hexagonal plates. Also lamellar masses; twinned. Gaidonnayite is orthorhombic. |
| Refractive Index | 1.596-1.624 |
| Birefringence | 0.280 |
| Luminescence | None reported |
| Luminescence Present | No |
| Absorption Spectrum | Not diagnostic. |
| Pleochroism | None in colorless gems. |
| Optics | o = 1.596; e = 1.624. Uniaxial or biaxial (+). |
| Optic Sign | Uniaxial +, Biaxial + |
| Luster | Vitreous, greasy, or dull. |
| Specific Gravity | 2.65–2.8 |
| Transparency | Transparent. |
OPTICS: o = 1.596; e = 1.624
Uniaxial (+)
OCCURRENCE: Alkalic rocks and pegmatites.
Langesundfford District, Norway; Magnet Cove, Arkansas.
Greenland; USSR; Madagascar.
Mt. Ste. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada: cuttable crystals.
COMMENTS: The only reported cut catapleiite is from Mte. Ste. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada, in the form of tiny colorless gems.
NAME: From Greek words meaning rare minerals because catapleiite is usually associated with other rare minerals.
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