The Mineral INESITE
- Chemistry: Ca2Mn7Si10O28(OH)2 - 5H2O, Hydrated Calcium Manganese Silicate Hydroxide.
- Class: Silicates
- Subclass: Inosilicates
- Uses: Only as mineral specimens.
Specimens
Inesite is not a common mineral in rock shops and in mineral displays. However it can form attractive pink or rose colored specimens that are sought after by mineral collectors. The commonly seen prismatic crystals have a slanted or "chisel-shaped" termination. At first glance the shorter crystals may be mistaken for rhombohedrons which have six equally slanted faces. Inesite will show only one steeply slanted face, while the other faces have a much less inclined slant. This is important for identification because the pink to rose colored mineral rhodochrosite forms rhombohedrons. Another similar looking mineral is the silicate rhodonite. Fortunately rhodonite lacks any steeply inclined faces and is normally blocky, not prismatic.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is pink to orange or flesh-red to rose.
- Luster is vitreous.
- Transparency: Crystals are generally translucent.
- Crystal System is triclinic; bar 1
- Crystal Habits include prismatic crystals with chisel-like terminations. Also tabular and fibrous and in radiating aggregates and sphericules.
- Cleavage is good in one direction and perfect in another.
- Fracture is uneven.
- Hardness is 6
- Specific Gravity is approximately 3.0 (average for translucent minerals)
- Streak is pale pink.
- Other Characteristics: Tarnishes to a brown color.
- Associated Minerals are rhodonite, serpentine, axinite, rhodochrosite and apophyllite.
- Notable Occurrences include New Broken Hill Mine, Australia; Nanzenbach, Germany; Trinity Co., California, USA and Durango, Mexico.
- Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, color, associations and luster.
 Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery MINERALS |
INESITE specimen ine-2
$ 20.00
$ 20.00
Dims: 0.8" x 1.0" x 0.6"(2.0 x 2.5 x 1.5 cm)
Wt: 9.8 g. w/ foam base
Hale Creek Mine, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.
A few dozen small, pink Inesite crystals infest this thumbnail specimen. They occur in a four-sided prismatic form with a sloping termination. Their luster is waxy to pearly and they are dimly translucent. The crystals do not exceed 1/8"(3 mm) in length, and rest on a host rock that looks like a finely-grained granite, but there is not much of it. The specimen is glued into a plastic specimen box for protection.
ine-2 ($ 20.00)
Hale Creek Mine, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.
INESITE specimen ine-3$ 100.00
Dims: 3.0 x 1.9" x 1.6" (7.6 x 4.8 x 4.1 cm)
Wt: 2.04 oz. (57.9 g)
Hale Creek Mine, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.
This hand specimen consists of at least 25 triclinic prismatic Inesite crystals that rest in a hollow formed by a thin crust. They are the largest Inesites that I have yet seen, measuring up to 0.4" (1 cm) long, and each shows excellent form, with a rhombic cross-section and a sharply sloping termination face. Their flat, clean faces reflect light with a dull, waxy-to-pearly luster, and each crystal is only dimly translucent at the most. The host rock on which they rest has a color that alternates between dark brown and pale cream, and appears to be heavily weathered.
ine-3 ($100.00)Hale Creek Mine, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.
INESITE specimen ine-4
$ 40.00
$ 40.00
Dims: 2.4 x 1.4 x 1.1" (6.1 x 3.6 x 2.8 cm)
Wt: 1.02 oz. (28.9 g)
Hale Creek Mine, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.
Several pale pink Inesite crystals rest in a shallow hollow in the dull, chalky host rock of this specimen. These crystals reach lengths of 0.5" (1.3 cm) and are in excellent condition, as they appear to be completely undamaged. They appear to be weathered, but their triclinic prismatic form is still good, having mostly well-defined edges and clean faces whose luster ranges from waxy to bright pearly. All are dimly translucent. I cannot identify the host rock on which they rest.
ine-4 ($ 40.00)
Hale Creek Mine, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.
INESITE specimen ine-5
$ 55.00
$ 55.00
Dims: 2.7 x 2.2 x 1.8" (6.9 x 5.6 x 4.6 cm)
Wt: 6.78 oz. (192.2 g)
Indian Gulch, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.
This hand specimen consists of several clusters of Inesite prisms that are scattered on a weathered host rock. These prisms range in length from less than 0.1" (3 mm) to nearly 0.5" (1.3 cm) and are generally in moderately good condition, as many of them are either broken or badly weathered. Those that are intact have good triclinic form, with well-defined edges and curved but clean faces that possess a dull, waxy-to-pearly luster. All have the standard dull pink coloration and are only dimly translucent at best. The base on which they rest appears to be made mostly of Inesite that is either massive and weathered or crystalline and broken.
ine-5 ($ 55.00)
Indian Gulch, Trinity Co., California, U.S.A.
INESITE specimen ine-6
$ 57.00
$ 57.00
Dims: 1.8 x 1.7 x 0.8" (4.6 x 4.3 x 2.0 cm)
Wt: 24.8 g
Hale Creek Mine, Trinity County, California, U.S.A.
Most of the mass of this thumbnail specimen is made up of scores of intergrown Inesite crystals. These crystals do not appear to exceed 0.4" (1.0 cm) but are in excellent condition, showing very little damage. Their triclinic prismatic form is even more warped than usual due to the intense intergrowth, and only a few crystals are well-defined. All have a moderately pale pink color and a dull, waxy luster, and are translucent at best. A thin, black-and-brown host rock is attached to one side of the cluster- I cannot define the material, and it appears to be glazed with a lacquer of some sort for protection or stabilization.
ine-6 ($ 57.00)
Hale Creek Mine, Trinity County, California, U.S.A.
INESITE specimen ine-7
$ 60.00
$ 60.00
Dims: 3.2 x 2.3 x 1.8" (8.1 x 5.8 x 4.6 cm)
Wt: 4.12 oz. (117.1 g)
Hale Creek Mine, Trinity County, California, U.S.A.
Dozens of heavily-intergrown Inesite crystals coat the chalky base of this specimen. These crystals generally do not exceed 0.2" (5 mm) in length but are in very good condition, showing little damage. Their triclinic form is moderately good- it appears to be warped, likely due to their heavy intergrowth. All have the standard pale pink color and waxy luster of their species and are translucent.
ine-7 ($ 60.00)
Hale Creek Mine, Trinity County, California, U.S.A.
INESITE specimen ine-8
$ 50.00
$ 50.00
Dims: 2.2 x 1.9 x 1.1" (5.5 x 4.9 x 2.7 cm)
Wt: 1.10 oz. (31.1 g)
Hayfork, Trinity County, California, U.S.A.
A few dozen Inesite crystals make up a crust that partly coats the sparse, brown-black host material of this piece. These crystals are generally in good condition and range in length from 0.1 -0.4" (0.3 - 1.0 cm). Their triclinic form is good, considering their intense intergrowth, and all have the pale pink color and dull, waxy luster that is standard for pieces from this locality. The sparse host material appears to be a decomposition product, possibly of a copper mineral, but I cannot define it.
ine-8 ($ 50.00)
Hayfork, Trinity County, California, U.S.A.
INESITE specimen ine-9
$ 120.00
$ 120.00
Dims: 4.03x3.22x2.18" (10.23x8.17x5.55cm)
Wt: 21.20oz (601g)
Hale Creek Mine, Trinity County, California, USA
This is a nice specimen of the mineral inesite. It really needs more than two pictures, as the image shows the side with the most crystals, while the closeup is of some crystals on the reverse side which have much better color and form. The crystals are pink and translucent, with an orthorhombic shape.
ine-9 ($120.00)
Hale Creek Mine, Trinity County, California, USA
INESITE specimen ine-10
$ 30.00
$ 30.00
Dims: 3.31x2.05x1.40in (8.41x5.22x3.55cm)
Wt: 3.89oz (110.3g)
Hale Creek, Trinity County, California, USA
While most of the surface of this specimen is covered by inesite crystals, most of these are pale and discolored by a green mineral. Still, many of the crystals are excellent and display the lovely pink color this mineral is noted for. Some clusters form a lacy patchwork of delicate looking crystals - a loupe is needed to appreciate the true beauty of this specimen.
ine-10 ($ 30.00)
Hale Creek, Trinity County, California, USA