Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0 [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
An overview on Zektzerite Jewelry and Gemstones. Covers details and essential information on the physical properties and characteristics of Zektzerite.
Zektzerite Value
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Zektzerite Information
| Data | Value |
| Name | Zektzerite |
| Crystallography | Orthorhombic crystals generally tabular, pseudo-hexagonal, transparent to translucent. |
| Colors | Colorless to pink, sometimes with color zoning. |
| Luster | Pearly on crystal faces, vitreous on cleavage and fracture surfaces. |
| Hardness | 6 |
| Density | 2.79. |
| Birefringence | 0.002. The material is virtually isotropic. |
| Cleavage | Perfect in 2 directions. |
| Stone Sizes | Colorless faceted gems in the 1-2 carat range have been reported. The material and hence the cut stones, are exceedingly rare. |
| Luminescence | Fluoresces light yellow in SW, inert in LW, no phosphorescence either SW or LW. |
| Formula | LiNa(Zr,Ti,Hf)Si6O15. |
| Pleochroism | None. |
Optics: α= 1.582; β= 1.584; γ= 1.584.
Biaxial (-).
Occurrence: In a small number of miarolitic cavities in riebeckite granite in Okanogan County, Washington. This is the only known locality. Crystals up to 35 mm in size have been found, some transparent enough to yield small (less than 2 carats) faceted gems. Typical crystals are 4-15 mm in size, sometimes perched on riebeckite crystals.
Name: After Jack Zektzer of Seattle, Washington, who initiated the investigation of the newly discovered mineral.
