The Mineral MURMANITE
- Chemistry: Na2(Ti, Nb)2Si2O9-n(H2O), Hydrated Sodium Titanium Niobium Silicate.
- Class: Silicates
- Uses: Only as mineral specimens.
Specimens
Murmanite is one of the rarer mineral species found on the Kola Peninsula in Russia. This is one of the classic mineral localities known around the world for producing some truely one-of-a-kind mineral specimens. Murmanite is no exception. Just examining the formula, one can tell that this is a unique mineral. Titanium and niobium are elements not commonly found in the earth's crust. The pink color is attractive and unique, and the luster is beautiful and difficult to describe. This is a good mineral for those interested in rare minerals.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is pink to purple.
- Luster vitreous to pearly.
- Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
- Crystal Habits include tabular crystals. Also massive, lamellar and granular.
- Cleavage is perfect in one direction forming thin sheets.
- Fracture: is flaky.
- Hardness is 2 - 3
- Specific Gravity is approximately 2.75
- Streak is pale pink.
- Associated Minerals include minerals such as nepheline, feldspars,
epistolite and other rare titanium and niobium minerals. - Other Characteristics: Cleavage sheets are elastic.
- Notable Occurrence is Kola, Peninsula, Russia.
- Best Field Indicators color, associations, locality and crystal habit.
 Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery MINERALS |
MURMANITE specimen mur-1
$ 30.00
$ 30.00
Dims: 2-1/4" x 1-3/4" x 1"
Wt: 2.2 oz
Kola Peninsula, Russia
Little do I know about this silicate mineral. This classic Kola Peninsula specimen is composed of a small (about 1" diameter max.) micaceous stack of monoclinic sheets of Murmanite in a nepheline syenite matrix. The crystals have a lavender to purple color and an almost metallic, silky luster. The tidbit or two that I've read suggests that it contains a substantial amount of titanium and/or niobium; I would guess that these ingredients make for a rather uncommon mineral.
mur-1 ($ 30.00)
Kola Peninsula, Russia
MURMANITE specimen mur-2
$ 38.00
$ 38.00
Dims: 1.16x1.16x0.94" (2.95x2.94x2.40cm)
Wt: 1.06oz (30.1g)
Khibiny, Kola Peninsula, USSR
Embedded in this microcrystalline black host rock are dozens of murmanite crystals. Many of these are nicely exposed on the surface. They have a unique off-pink color, a rather unique almost pearly luster, and a very interesting surface texture or growth pattern, at least when examined using a loupe (the crystals are quite small). Some of them appear complete, and have a rectangular cross section. On one surface, mostly edges are exposed, and some of these appear translucent. This is one of those "must have" species for a rare mineral collector.
mur-2 ($ 38.00)
Khibiny, Kola Peninsula, USSR
MURMANITE specimen mur-3
$ 25.00
$ 25.00
Dims: 2.62x2.09x1.48" (6.64x5.32x3.76cm)
Wt: 6.92oz (195.8g)
Kola Peninsula, Russia
This is a specimen of murmanite. The crystals are large flat sheets and some are clearly rectangular in outline. Its color is a dull pink-brown-gray, and is difficult to describe partly because of the bright pearly luster of the specimen. There is either another mineral forming crystals, or we are seeing more sheets of murmanite on edge, where it looks more transparent and vitreous. Some areas are clearly pinker than others.
mur-3 ($ 25.00)
Kola Peninsula, Russia