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Carletonite

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Silicate mineral
Carletonite
Carletonite, Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Montérégie, Quebec, Canada
General
CategoryPhyllosilicate
Formula
(repeating unit)		KNa4Ca4(CO3)4Si8O18(F,OH)·(H2O)
IMA symbolCto
Strunz classification9.EB.20
Crystal systemTetragonal
Crystal classDitetragonal dipyramidal (4/mmm)
H–M symbol: (4/m 2/m 2/m)
Space groupP4/mbm
Unit cella = 13.17 Å, c = 16.69 Å; Z = 4
Identification
ColourColourless, light blue, dark blue, or pink
Crystal habitPrismatic crystals, massive
CleavagePerfect on {001}, good on {110}
FractureConchoidal
TenacityBrittle
Mohs scale hardness4 - 4+1⁄2
LustreVitreous
StreakWhite
DiaphaneityTransparent to translucent
Specific gravity2.45
Optical propertiesUniaxial (-)
Refractive indexnω = 1.521 nε = 1.517
Birefringenceδ = 0.004
PleochroismWeak; O = pale blue; E = pale pinkish brown
References

Carletonite is a rare silicate mineral with formula KNa4Ca4(CO3)4Si8O18(F,OH)·(H2O).

It is a phyllosilicate and a member of the apophyllite group. Its tetragonal crystals are a translucent blue, white, colorless or pink with a vitreous to dull lustre. It has a density of 2.45 and a hardness of 4–4.5.

It was discovered by G.Y Chao and named for the school he attended, Carleton University of Ottawa. It was first described in 1969 for an occurrence at Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec. The type locality at Mont Saint–Hilaire is the only reported occurrence.

It occurs in hornfels and siliceous marble xenoliths within and adjacent to a nepheline syenite intrusion. It occurs in association with quartz, narsarsukite, calcite, fluorite, ancylite, molybdenite, leucosphenite, lorenzenite, galena, albite, pectolite, apophyllite, leifite, microcline and arfvedsonite.

References

  1. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. Mineralienatlas
  3. ^ Handbook of Mineralogy
  4. ^ Mindat.org
  5. Webmineral data
  6. Carletonite is a rare mineral found only in Mt Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada.


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