Fluor-liddicoatite | |
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![]() Liddicoatite from the Ambesabora pegmatite, Madagascar. Photo Rob Lavinsky | |
General | |
Category | Cyclosilicate Tourmaline Group |
Formula (repeating unit) | Ca(Li2Al)Al6(BO3)3Si6O18(OH)3F |
IMA symbol | Fld[1] |
Strunz classification | 9.CK.05 (10 ed) 8/E.19-80 (8 ed) |
Dana classification | 61.3.1.2 |
Crystal system | Trigonal |
Crystal class | Ditrigonal pyramidal (3m) (same H-M symbol) |
Space group | R3m |
Identification | |
Formula mass | 945.8 g/mol |
Color | Usually smoky brown, but also pink, red, green, blue, or rarely white. |
Crystal habit | Stout prismatic, with a curved convex trigonal outline |
Cleavage | Poor or absent on {0001}[2] |
Fracture | Uneven to conchoidal |
Tenacity | Brittle |
Mohs scale hardness | 7+1⁄2 |
Luster | Vitreous |
Streak | White to very light brown |
Diaphaneity | Transparent to translucent |
Specific gravity | 3.02 |
Optical properties | Uniaxial (−) |
Refractive index | No = 1.637, Ne = 1.621 |
Pleochroism | Strong: O dark brown or pink, E light brown or pale pink |
Other characteristics | Not fluorescent, not radioactive |
References | [3][4][5][6] |
Fluor-liddicoatite[7] is a rare member of the tourmaline group of minerals, elbaite subgroup, and the theoretical calcium endmember of the elbaite-fluor-liddicoatite series; the pure end-member has not yet been found in nature.[3] Fluor-liddicoatite is indistinguishable from elbaite by X-ray diffraction techniques. It forms a series with elbaite and probably also with olenite.[3] Liddiocoatite is currently a non-approved mineral name, but Aurisicchio et al. (1999) and Breaks et al. (2008) found OH-dominant species.[8][9] Formulae are
Fluor-liddicoatite was named in 1977 after Richard T. Liddicoat (1918–2002) gemmologist and president of the Gemological Institute of America,[2] who is well known for introducing the GIA diamond grading system in 1953.
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