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Spessartine Mineral Data

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General Spessartine Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: Mn++3Al2(SiO4)3
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 495.03 gm
   Manganese  33.29 %  Mn   42.99 % MnO
   Aluminum   10.90 %  Al   20.60 % Al2O3
   Silicon    17.02 %  Si   36.41 % SiO2
   Oxygen     38.78 %  O
             ______        ______ 
             100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3
Help on Environment: Environment: Magmatic, metamorphic, and pegmatitic rocks.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1832
Help on Locality: Locality: Aschaffenburg, Spessart Mountains, Bavaria, Germany Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named after its locality.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Spessartine + Pronunciation Say SPESSARTINE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: Spessartite
 

Spessartine Image

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  Spessartine

Comments: Dodecahedral crystal of spessartine garnet on matrix.
Location: Haramosh Mountains, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakastan. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Spessartine Crystallography

Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 11.621, Z = 8; V = 1,569.39 Den(Calc)= 4.19
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Isometric - Hexoctahedral H-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: I a3d
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 2.6(1), 1.56(0.4), 1.61(0.3),
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Forms: ( 2 1 1)

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Physical Properties of Spessartine

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {???} Distinct
Help on Color: Color: Red, Reddish orange, Yellowish brown, Reddish brown, Brown.
Help on Density: Density: 4.18
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent to translucent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.
Help on Habit: Habit: Crystalline - Fine - Occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Lamellar - Thin laminae producing a lamellar structure.
Help on Habit: Habit: Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 6.5-7.5
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Non-fluorescent.
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous - Resinous
Help on Magnetism: Magnetism: Nonmagnetic
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Spessartine

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.058 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.06 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1909,KPDmeas= 0.1914,KC= 0.2031
Ncalc = 1.85
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Isotropic, n=1.8.
 

Calculated Properties of Spessartine

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.04 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Spessartine =4.18 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0081347864
Boson Index = 0.9918652136
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PESpessartine = 9.50 barns/electron
U=PESpessartine x rElectron Density= 38.35 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Spessartine is Not Radioactive
 

Spessartine Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 51.04.03a.03 (51)Nesosilicate Insular SiO4 Groups Only
  (51.04)with cations in [6] and >[6] coordination
  (51.04.03a)Garnet group (Pyralspite series)
 
51.04.03a.01 Pyrope Mg3Al2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
51.04.03a.02 Almandine Fe3Al2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
51.04.03a.03 Spessartine Mn3Al2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
51.04.03a.04 Knorringite Mg3Cr2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
51.04.03a.05 Majorite Mg3(Fe,Al,Si)2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
51.04.03a.06 Calderite (Mn,Ca)3(Fe,Al)2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 09.AD.25 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
  09.A - Nesosilicates
  09.AD -Nesosilicates without additional anions;
 
09.AD.25 Almandine Fe3Al2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Calderite (Mn,Ca)3(Fe,Al)2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Andradite Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Goldmanite Ca3(V,Al,Fe)2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Hibschite Ca3Al2(SiO4)3-x(OH)4x(x=0.2-1.5) I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Knorringite Mg3Cr2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Grossular Ca3Al2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Henritermierite Ca3(Mn,Al)2(SiO4)2(OH)4 I 41/acd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Katoite Ca3Al2(SiO4)3-x(OH)4xx=1.5-3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Majorite Mg3(Fe,Al,Si)2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Kimzeyite Ca3(Zr,Ti)2(Si,Al,Fe)3O12 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Morimotoite Ca3TiFeSi3O12 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Pyrope Mg3Al2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Spessartine Mn3Al2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Schorlomite Ca3(Ti,Fe,Al)2[(Si,Fe,Fe)O4]3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Uvarovite Ca3Cr2(SiO4)3 I a3d 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.AD.25 Wadalite Ca6Al5Si2O16Cl3 I 43d 4 3m
 
09.AD.25 Holtstamite! Ca3(Al,Mn)2(SiO4)2(OH)4 I 41/acd 4/m 2/m 2/m
 

Other Spessartine Information

Help on References: References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Spessartine :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - EUROmin Project
7 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
8 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
9 - GeoScienceWorld
10 - Google Images
11 - Google Scholar
12 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
13 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
14 - HyperPhysics
15 - MinDAT
16 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
17 - Mineral of the Month
18 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
19 - Online Mineral Museum
20 - QUT Mineral Atlas
21 - Ruff.Info
22 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
23 - UCLA - Petrography Thin-Sections
24 - University of Colorado - Mineral Structure Data
25 - University of Texas at Austin
26 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Spessartine

Mn++3Al2(SiO4)3
Dana No: 51.04.03a.03 Strunz No: 09.AD.25
Locality:

 

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