Rhodizite Mineral Data

General Rhodizite Information

Chemical Formula:

(K,Cs)Al4Be4(B,Be)12O28

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 778.83 gm

Cesium 4.27 % Cs 4.52 % Cs₂O

Potassium 3.77 % K 4.54 % K₂O

Beryllium 8.10 % Be 22.48 % BeO

Aluminum 13.86 % Al 26.18 % Al₂O₃

Boron 12.49 % B 40.22 % B₂O₃

Oxygen 57.52 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 97.95 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

K_0.75Cs_0.25Al₄Be₄12(B_0.75)12(Be_0.25)O₂₈

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1834

Locality:

Sarapulsk and Schaitansk, near Mursinsk, Ural Mountains, Russia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named from the Greek "rose-colored" because it tinges the blowpipe flame red.

Name Pronunciation:

Rhodizite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 17018

PDF 18-327

Rhodizite Image

Images:

Rhodizite

Comments: Two large, blocky, greenish crystals of rhodizite on matrix.
Location: Antsogombato, Antsirabe, Madagascar. Scale: 2.6 x 2.5 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Rhodizite

Comments: Several yellow, gemmy crystals of rhodizite frozen in a feldspar matrix.
Location: Sahanivotry, Sahatany Valley, Madagascar. Scale: 3 x 2.5 x 2 cm.
© Isaias Casanova / IC Minerals

Rhodizite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.317, Z = 1; V = 391.74 Den(Calc)= 3.30

Crystal System:

Isometric - Hextetrahedral H-M Symbol (4 3m) Space Group: P 43m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.983(1), 2.44(0.5), 3.27(0.5),

Physical Properties of Rhodizite

Cleavage:

{111} Indistinct, {111} Indistinct, {111} Indistinct

Color:

Colorless, Grayish, Yellow, Yellowish white, White.

Density:

3.44

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Habit:

Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals.

Hardness:

8.5 - Chrysoberyl

Luminescence:

Piezoelectric and pyroelectric.

Luster:

Vitreous - Adamantine

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Rhodizite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.035 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.006 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2102,KPDmeas= 0.2016,KC= 0.2089
Ncalc = 1.69 - 1.72

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=1.6935.

Calculated Properties of Rhodizite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.19 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Rhodizite =3.30 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.1
Boson Index = 0.9

Photoelectric:

PE_Rhodizite= 17.81 barns/electron
U=PE_Rhodizite x r_electron= 56.89 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 52.60 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Rhodizite per GRapi unit = 1.90 (%)

Estimated Radioactivity from Rhodizite - barely detectable

Rhodizite Classification

Dana Class:

25.08.02.01 (25)Anhydrous Borates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(25.08)Dana Type

(25.08.02)Dana Group

25.08.02.01 Rhodizite (K,Cs)Al4Be4(B,Be)12O28 P 43m 4 3m

25.08.02.02 Londonite! CsAl4Be4(B,Be)12O28 P 43m 4 3m

Strunz Class:

06.GC.05 06 - BORATES

06.G - Heptaborates and other Megaborates

06.GC -Tekto-dodecaborates

06.GC.05 Rhodizite (K,Cs)Al4Be4(B,Be)12O28 P 43m 4 3m

06.GC.05 Londonite! CsAl4Be4(B,Be)12O28 P 43m 4 3m

Other Rhodizite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Rhodizite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - MinDAT
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - Online Mineral Museum
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - Tradeshop.com - The Rainbow of Gems
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Rhodizite

(K,Cs)Al4Be4(B,Be)12O28
Dana No: 25.08.02.01 Strunz No: 06.GC.05
Locality:

Notes:

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