SHORTITE: Wyoming (0.5). Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.
Shortite is an exceedingly rare, not overly attractive mineral. Cut gems are among the rarest of all faceted stones. The material is a carbonate and is therefore fragile and soft.
| Data | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Shortite |
| Stone Sizes | Very small, less than 1 carat. |
| Formula | Na2Ca2(CO3)3 |
| Colors | Colorless to pale yellow. |
| Fracture | Conchoidal |
| Hardness | 3 |
| Cleavage | Distinct 1 direction |
| Crystallography | Orthorhombic. Crystals wedge-shaped, to maximum size of 155 mm. |
| Refractive Index | 1.531-1.570 |
| Birefringence | 0.039 |
| Luminescence | Pinkish orange to orange-brown in SW (Green River, Wyoming). |
| Luminescence Present | Yes |
| Luminescence Type | Fluorescent, UV-Short |
| Absorption Spectrum | Not diagnostic. |
| Optics | a = 1.531; β = 1.555; γ = 1.570. Biaxial (+), 2V = 75°. |
| Optic Sign | Biaxial + |
| Luster | Vitreous. |
| Specific Gravity | 2.60 |
| Transparency | Transparent. |
Optics: a=1.531; β=1.555; γ=1.570.
Biaxial (+),2V = 75°.
Occurrence: Occurs in clays from an oil well, 20 miles west of Green River, Wyoming: also in clay from an oil well in Uintah County, Utah.
Comments: Shortite is an exceedingly rare, not overly attractive mineral. Cut gems are among the rarest of all faceted stones. The material is a carbonate and is therefore fragile and soft.
Pyroelectric.
Name: After Maxwell N. Short, professor of mineralogy at the University of Arizona.
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