The Mineral PECTOLITE

  • Chemistry: NaCa2Si3O8(OH), Sodium Calcium Silicate Hydroxide
  • Class: Silicates
  • Subclass: Inosilicates
  • Group: Pyroxenoid
  • Uses: mineral specimens and as a semi-precious stone.
  • Specimens
      Also see variety specimens:
    • Lorimar Specimens
Pectolite is a mineral that can be confused with several other similar appearing minerals. These include okenite, wollastonite, artinite and a few others. Fortunately, most of these minerals do not form with zeolites as pectolite is so apt to do. Okenite is one of those that does, but is soft and bendable, unlike pectolite.

Pectolite is a nice specimen type mineral, meaning that it can form interesting specimens from time to time. However it was not all that well-regarded until a variety was discovered in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. It has been given the trade name Larimar and has enjoyed success in the semi-precious stone market.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Color is white, colorless or gray and also pale to sky blue in Lorimar.
  • Luster is vitreous to silky.
  • Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
  • Crystal System is triclinic; bar 1
  • Crystal Habits include fibrous tufts, radiating acicular crystal clusters and compact or botryoidal masses.
  • Cleavage is perfect in two direction at close to right angles.
  • Fracture is splintery due to the cleavage.
  • Hardness is 4.5 - 5
  • Specific Gravity is approximately 2.7 - 2.9 (average)
  • Streak is white.
  • Associated Minerals are various zeolites, prehnite, calcite, datolite and serpentine.
  • Other Characteristics: Splinters of pectolite do not bend and are brittle. They are also sharp and can easily puncture the skin if not handled properly. Also some specimens can be triboluminescent.
  • Notable Occurrences include Lake Co., California and Paterson and Franklin, New Jersey, USA; Bahamas, Dominican Republic; Italy and England.
  • Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, association with zeolites, brittleness and cleavage.
PECTOLITE specimens:
(hover for more info)
PECTOLITE specimen pec-1
$ 80.00
Dims: 5.1 x 3.5 x 3.2" (13.0 x 8.9 x 8.1 cm)
Wt: 1 lb., 13.8 oz. (844.0 g)
Patterson, New Jersey, U.S.A.
This large hand specimen consists of part of a crust that is made up of intergrown clusters of compact, fibrous and radiating Pectolite needles. Thus, the crust has a reniform shape on its outer surfaces. Its cross-section shows the radiating patterns that are part of its nature- some of the larger clusters would have diameters of 2" (5 cm) or more if they were complete. The Pectolite has a color that ranges from creamy to pale brown, and its luster is dull and waxy in some areas and matte in others. It is thoroughly opaque. The host rock on which it rests shows evidence of layering; otherwise, I would have thought it to be made of basalt.
no photo
pec-1 ($ 80.00)
Patterson, New Jersey, U.S.A.
PECTOLITE specimen pec-2
$ 200.00
Dims: 3.7 x 3.1 x 3.0" (9.4 x 7.9 x 7.6 cm)
Wt: 1 lb., 9.5 oz. (722.0 g)
Black Lake Operation of Lab Chrysotile, Black Lake, Quebec, Canada
Scores of short, thin Pectolite crystals rest on the large gray-white host rock of this hand specimen. These crystals do not exceed 0.8" (2.0 cm) in length or 0.1" (3 mm) in either of the other dimensions. Surprisingly, many of these crystals are intact and in excellent condition. It does no seem to be so upon first glance, however, because all have very uneven terminations. Their triclinic form is otherwise very good, with well-defined edges and striated but clean prism faces that possess a bright pearly luster. All are colorless and transparent, but only a few are clear- the rest are heavily internally fractured so as to take on a generally milky-white coloration and mere translucence. The host rock on which they rest is massive and amorphous- I think that it is made up of massive Pectolite.
no photo
pec-2 ($200.00)
Black Lake Operation of Lab Chrysotile, Black Lake, Quebec, Canada
PECTOLITE specimen pec-3
$ 25.00
Dims: 1.1 x 1.1 x 0.8" (2.8 x 2.8 x 2.0 cm)
Wt: 10.8 g w/ base
Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada
Several intersecting Pectolite sprays make up this thumbnail specimen. The largest of these sprays measures over 1" (2.5 cm) in length and is made up of several radiating Pectolite needles. One other cluster extends off of this larger one, and several much smaller, intergrown clusters coat the terminations of the larger cluster. Though the smaller clusters are heavily intergrown with each other and appear to be slightly weathered, the larger clusters are in good condition and contain crystals that show some triclinic form. All have a pale-cream coloration and a pearly luster, and are translucent. There is no host rock present, and the piece is hot-glued to a flat acrylic base.
no photo
pec-3 ($ 25.00)
Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada
PECTOLITE specimen pec-4
$ 45.00
Dims: 3.8 x 2.7 x 1.5" (9.7 x 6.9 x 3.8 cm)
Wt: 6.68 oz. (189.4 g)
Upper New Street Quarry, Patterson, New Jersey, U.S.A.
This interesting piece is made up of at least 5 intersecting Pectolite sprays. The crystals that make up the sprays are compact, fibrous, radiating, and do not exceed 2.1" (5.3 cm) in length. They are generally in very good condition, showing no damage, but are far too intergrown for one to study their triclinic form. The clusters have a creamy-white color and a dull, silky luster and rest on a base of a dull, gray rock that I cannot identify.
no photo
pec-4 ($ 45.00)
Upper New Street Quarry, Patterson, New Jersey, U.S.A.
PECTOLITE specimen pec-5
$ 35.00
Dims: 1.7 x 1.7 x 1.0" (4.4 x 4.4 x 2.4 cm)
Wt: 0.6 oz. (1.6 g)
Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada
This small hand specimen consists entirely of massive and radiating Pectolite; the massive material forms a base off of which extend the clusters of radiating spikes. These spikes reach lengths of about 0.7" (1.8 cm) and are in very good condition, showing little damage. All show moderately good triclinic form and the standard acicular, radiating habit. Their color ranges from colorless to white, their transparency ranges from dim to opaque, and their luster ranges from pearly to silky to dull. There is no host rock present.
no photo
pec-5 ($ 35.00)
Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada
PECTOLITE specimen pec-6
$ 36.00
Dims:1.3x1.1x1.1" (3.3x2.8x2.8 cm)
Wt: 0.7oz. (21g)
Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada
This little miniature specimen has a small amount of matrix covered with at least 30 pectolite crystals. These crystals range in size from tiny to 0.5x0.2" (1.3x0.5cm). The majority of these crystals exhibit good triclinic form, with termination faces evident. There are also a few small pectolite crystals on the back of this specimen. A clear acrylic base is included with this specimen.
no photo
pec-6 ($ 36.00)
Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada
PECTOLITE specimen pec-7
$ 69.00
Dims:2.6x2.0x1.4" (6.6x5.1x3.6 cm)
Wt: 2.8oz. (78g)w/base
Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada
A multitude of slender blades of pectolite grow in sheaves from the massive pectolite matrix of this specimen. These blades reach 0.7" (1.8cm) in length. This is an excellent specimen, as there is no noticeable damage to it.
no photo
pec-7 ($ 69.00)
Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada
 

Copyright ©1995-2023 by Amethyst Galleries, Inc.