Surinamite Mineral Data
General Surinamite Information
Chemical Formula:
(Mg,Fe++)3Al4BeSi3O16
Composition:
Molecular Weight = 553.76 gm
Magnesium 9.88 % Mg 16.38 % MgO
Beryllium 1.63 % Be 4.52 % BeO
Aluminum 19.49 % Al 36.83 % Al2 O3
Iron 7.56 % Fe 9.73 % FeO
Silicon 15.22 % Si 32.55 % SiO2
Oxygen 46.23 % O
______ ______
100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:
Mg2.25 Fe2+ 0.75 Al4 BeSi3 O16
Environment:
In mylonitic mesoperthite gneiss, probably formed during high-pressure granulite facies metamorphism of aluminous rocks.
IMA Status:
Approved IMA 1976
Locality:
From the Bakhuis Mountains, Surinam. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:
Named for the locality.
Name Pronunciation:
Surinamite + Pronunciation
Synonym:
ICSD 31212
PDF 38-433
Surinamite Image
Images:
Surinamite
Comments: PPL thin-section image of blue surinamite (Sur) enclosing orthopyroxene (Opx) and sillimanite (Sil) with corderite (Crd), and quartz (Qtz). AmMin, v65:1474.
Location: South Harris Igneous Complex, N.W. Scotland.
Scale: Picture Size 1.2 mm.
© American Mineralogist
Surinamite Crystallography
Axial Ratios:
a:b:c =0.8705:1:0.846
Cell Dimensions:
a = 9.91, b = 11.384, c = 9.631, Z = 4; beta = 109.3° V = 1,025.46 Den(Calc)= 3.59
Crystal System:
Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 21 /n
X Ray Diffraction:
By Intensity(I/Io ): 1.99(1), 2.435(1), 1.42(0.6),
Physical Properties of Surinamite
Cleavage:
{010} Good
Color:
Blue, Blue green.
Density:
3.58
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Surinamite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas = -0.007 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas /KC ) CI calc = -0.005 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc /KC )
KPDcalc = 0.2068,KPDmeas = 0.2074,KC = 0.2058 Ncalc = 1.74
Optical Data:
Biaxial (-), a=1.738, b=1.743, g=1.746, bire=0.0080, 2V(Calc)=74, 2V(Meas)=67-68.
Calculated Properties of Surinamite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.53 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Surinamite =3.59 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.03 Boson Index = 0.97
Photoelectric:
PESurinamite = 3.62 barns/electronU=PESurinamite x r Electron Density= 12.81 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Surinamite is Not Radioactive
Surinamite Classification
Dana Class:
69.02.01b.02 (69) Inosilicate Chains with Side Branches or Loops
(69.02) with P>2
(69.02.01b) Aenigmatite and related species (Sapphirine subgroup)
69.02.01b.01 Sapphirine (Mg,Al)8(Al,Si)6O20 P1 1
69.02.01b.02 Surinamite (Mg,Fe)3Al4BeSi3O16 P 21 /n 2/m
69.02.01b.03 Khmaralite ! (Mg,Al,Fe)16(Al,Si,Be)12O40 P 21 /c 2/m
Strunz Class:
09.DH.55 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)
09.D - Inosilicates* Structural terminology according to Liebau (1985)
09.DH -Inosilicates with 4-periodic single chains, Si4O12
09.DH.55 Surinamite (Mg,Fe)3Al4BeSi3O16 P 21 /n 2/m
Other Surinamite Information
References:
NAME( AntBidBlaNic2) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
See Also:
Links to other databases for Surinamite :
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
Search for Surinamite using:
[AOL ]
[Bing ]
[Dog Pile ]
[GeoScienceWorld ]
[HotBot ]
[Ixquick ]
[Lycos ]
[MAMMA ]
[Scirus ]
[Teoma ]
[WebCrawler ]
[Wikipedia ]
[YAHOO ]
Visit our Advertisers for Surinamite :
Ask about Surinamite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in
Espaņol
Print or Cut-and-Paste your Surinamite Specimen Label here :
Surinamite
(Mg,Fe++)3Al4BeSi3O16
Dana No: 69.02.01b.02 Strunz No: 09.DH.55
Locality:
Notes:
Dakota Matrix
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Hudson Insitute
John Betts Fine Minerals
Mc Dougall Minerals
Mineral News
Rock and Mineral Shows
Weinrich Minerals, Inc.