Elbaite Mineral Data
General Elbaite Information
Chemical Formula: Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4
Composition: Molecular Weight = 916.68 gm
Sodium 2.51 % Na 3.38 % Na2 O
Lithium 1.89 % Li 4.07 % Li2 O
Aluminum 19.13 % Al 36.15 % Al2 O3
Silicon 18.38 % Si 39.33 % SiO2
Boron 3.54 % B 11.39 % B2 O3
Hydrogen 0.44 % H 3.93 % H2 O
Oxygen 54.11 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 98.25 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula: NaLi2.5 Al6.5 (BO3 )3 Si6 O18 (OH)4
Environment: Granitic pegmatites characterized by hydrothermal replacement.
IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1908 (Dana # Changed)
Locality: Island of Elba, Italy. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin: Named for the locality.
Name Pronunciation: Elbaite
Synonym: Achroite - colorless
Elbaite - (61.3.1.6)
ICSD 9252
Indicolite - blue
PDF 49-1833
Rubellite - red or pink
Tsilaisite - Mn-bearing elbaite
Elbaite Image
Images:
Elbaite
Comments: Doubly terminated tri-color elbaite (tourmaline) with minor white clevelandite (albite).Location: Himalaya mine, San Diego County, California, USA.
Scale: 3 x 1.5 cm.© Fabre Minerals
Images:
Elbaite
Comments: Gemmy-blue crystal of elbaite (Indicolite) tourmaline.Location: Morro Redondo Mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Scale: Crystal size 8.5 cm.© Kevin Ward
Elbaite Crystallography
Axial Ratios: a:c = 1:0.44847
Cell Dimensions: a = 15.838, c = 7.103, Z = 3; V = 1,543.03 Den(Calc)= 2.96
Crystal System: Trigonal - Ditrigonal Pyramidal
X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io ): 2.576(1), 2.961(0.85), 3.99(0.85),
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Physical Properties of Elbaite
Cleavage: {1011} Indistinct
Color: Blue, Colorless, Green, Yellow, White.
Density: 2.9 - 3.2, Average = 3.05
Diaphaneity: Transparent to translucent to opaque
Fracture: Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.
Habit: Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).
Habit: Striated - Parallel lines on crystal surface or cleavage face.
Hardness: 7.5 - Garnet
Luminescence: Fluorescent, Short UV=weak blue white to blue.
Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak: white
Optical Properties of Elbaite
Dichroism (e): colorless.
Dichroism (w): colorless.
Gladstone-Dale: CI meas = 0.028 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) calc = -0.002 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )PDcalc = 0.2139,KPDmeas = 0.2075,KC = 0.2134
Optical Data: Uniaxial (-), e=1.615-1.632, w=1.635-1.65, bire=0.0180-0.0200.
Calculated Properties of Elbaite
Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.93 gm/cc
Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.01
Photoelectric: PEElbaite = 1.38 barns/electronU=PEElbaite x r Electron Density= 4.03 barns/cc.
Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)Not Radioactive
Elbaite Classification
Dana Class: 61.03d.01.08 (61) Cyclosilicate Six-Membered Rings
(61.03d) with borate groups (Lithian Tourmaline Subgroup)
(61.03d.01) Elbaite Subgroup
61.03d.01.07 Olenite ! NaAl3Al6(BO3)3(Si6O18)(O,OH)4 R 3m 3m
61.03d.01.08 Elbaite ! Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
Strunz Class: 09.CK.05 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
09.C - Cyclosilicates
09.CK -[Si6O18]12- 6-membered single rings, with insular complex anions
09.CK.05 Chromdravite ! NaMg3(Cr,Fe)6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Feruvite ! (Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Ti)3(Al,Mg,Fe)6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Dravite NaMg3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Buergerite ! NaFe3Al6(BO3)3Si6O21F R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Foitite ! []Na<0.5(Fe,Al)3Al6Si6O18(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Liddicoatite ! Ca(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(O,OH,F)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Elbaite Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Rossmanite ! []LiAl2Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Olenite ! NaAl3Al6(BO3)3(Si6O18)(O,OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Povondraite ! (Na,K)(Fe,Fe)3(Fe,Mg,Al)6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Schorl NaFe3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Uvite (Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe)3Al5Mg(BO3)3Si6O18(OH,F)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Vanadiumdravite ! NaMg3V6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Magnesiofoitite ! [](Mg2Al)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)4 R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Hydroxyuvite ! CaMg3(Al5Mg)(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) R 3m 3m
09.CK.05 Schorl-(F) ! NaFe3Al6Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(F,OH) R 3m 3m
Other Elbaite Information
References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)
See Also: Links to other databases for Elbaite : Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery Athena CalTech Mineral Spectroscopy EUROmin Project Ecole des Mines de Paris GeoScienceWorld Google Images Google Scholar Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm) Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA) HyperPhysics MinDAT Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom Mineralienatlas (Deutsch) Online Mineral Museum Philatelic Mineralogy QUT Mineral Atlas Ruff.Info Scandinavian mineral gallery WWW-MINCRYST Search for Elbaite using:
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Elbaite
Na(Li,Al)3Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)4 Dana No: 61.03d.01.08 Strunz No: 09.CK.05 Locality:
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Chemical Formula: 
