Serendibite Mineral Data

General Serendibite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca2(Mg,Al)6(Si,Al,B)6O20

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 706.15 gm

Calcium 11.35 % Ca 15.88 % CaO

Magnesium 15.49 % Mg 25.68 % MgO

Aluminum 12.61 % Al 23.82 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 14.32 % Si 30.63 % SiO₂

Boron 0.92 % B 2.96 % B₂O₃

Oxygen 45.31 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 98.98 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₂Mg_4.5Al_1.5Si_3.6Al_1.8B_0.6O₂₀

Environment:

In skarns, affected by boron metasomatism, along the contact between carbonate rocks and granite, tonalite, or granulite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1903

Locality:

Gangapitiya near Ambakotte, Ceylon. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the old Arabic name, Serendib, for Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

Name Pronunciation:

Serendibite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 72936

PDF 29-343

Serendibite Image

Images:

Serendibite Phlogopite

Comments: Blue serendibite, with golden colored phlogopite, in white marble.
Location: Near Johnsberg, Warren County, New York, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Serendibite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.963:1:0.8306

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.043, b = 10.428, c = 8.662, Z = 2; alpha = 106.37°, beta = 96.02°, gamma = 124.4° V = 714.20 Den(Calc)= 3.28

Crystal System:

Triclinic - Pinacoidal H-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.53(1), 2.56(0.8), 2.9(0.8),

Physical Properties of Serendibite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Blue, Blue green, Gray blue, Light yellow, Dark blue.

Density:

3.4

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent

Habit:

Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.

Habit:

Twinning Common - Crystals are usually twinned.

Hardness:

6-7 - Orthoclase-Quartz

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Serendibite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.013 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.004 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2033,KPDmeas= 0.2069,KC= 0.2041
Ncalc = 1.69 - 1.71

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.701, b=1.703, g=1.706, bire=0.0050, 2V(Calc)=80, 2V(Meas)=80. Dispersion strong, r < v.

Pleochroism (x):

yellow or green.

Pleochroism (y):

yellow or green.

Pleochroism (z):

blue or blue.

Calculated Properties of Serendibite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.43 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Serendibite =3.46 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Serendibite= 2.67 barns/electron
U=PE_Serendibite x rElectron Density= 9.17 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Serendibite is Not Radioactive

Serendibite Classification

Dana Class:

69.02.01a.06 (69)Inosilicate Chains with Side Branches or Loops

(69.02)with P>2

(69.02.01a)Aenigmatite and related species (Aenigmatite subgroup)

69.02.01a.01 Aenigmatite (Na,Ca)4(Fe,Ti,Mg)12Si12O40 P1 1

69.02.01a.02 Dorrite Ca2Mg2Fe4(Al,Fe)4Si2O20 P1,P 1 Tri

69.02.01a.03 Hogtuvaite (Ca,Na)2(Fe,Fe,Ti,Mg,Mn)6(Si,Be,Al)6O20 P1 1

69.02.01a.04 Krinovite NaMg2CrSi3O10 P1 1

69.02.01a.05 Rhonite Ca2(Mg,Fe,Fe,Ti)6(Si,Al)6O20 P1 1

69.02.01a.06 Serendibite Ca2(Mg,Al)6(Si,Al,B)6O20 P1 1

69.02.01a.07 Welshite Ca4Mg9Sb3O4[Si6Be3AlFe2O36] P1 1

69.02.01a.08 Wilkinsonite Na2Fe4Fe2Si6O20 P1 1

69.02.01a.09 Makarochkinite! Ca2Fe4FeTiSi4BeAlO20 P1 1

Strunz Class:

09.DH.45 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.D - Inosilicates* Structural terminology according to Liebau (1985)

09.DH -Inosilicates with 4-periodic single chains, Si4O12

09.DH.45 Aenigmatite (Na,Ca)4(Fe,Ti,Mg)12Si12O40 P1 1

09.DH.45 Dorrite Ca2Mg2Fe4(Al,Fe)4Si2O20 P1,P 1 Tri

09.DH.45 Krinovite NaMg2CrSi3O10 P1 1

09.DH.45 Rhonite Ca2(Mg,Fe,Fe,Ti)6(Si,Al)6O20 P1 1

09.DH.45 Sapphirine (Mg,Al)8(Al,Si)6O20 P1 1

09.DH.45 Serendibite Ca2(Mg,Al)6(Si,Al,B)6O20 P1 1

09.DH.45 Khmaralite! (Mg,Al,Fe)16(Al,Si,Be)12O40 P 2₁/c 2/m

09.DH.45 Makarochkinite! Ca2Fe4FeTiSi4BeAlO20 P1 1

09.DH.45 Welshite Ca4Mg9Sb3O4[Si6Be3AlFe2O36] P1 1

09.DH.45 Wilkinsonite Na2Fe4Fe2Si6O20 P1 1

Other Serendibite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic2) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

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

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Serendibite

Ca2(Mg,Al)6(Si,Al,B)6O20
Dana No: 69.02.01a.06 Strunz No: 09.DH.45
Locality:

Notes:

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