THE MINERAL SUOLUNITE

Chemistry: Ca₂Si₂O₅(OH)₂ - H₂O, Hydrated Calcium Silicate Hydroxide.
Class: Silicates
Subclass: Sorosilicates
Group:Cuspidine - Wohlerite group
Uses: Only as mineral specimens.
Specimens

Suolunite is a very rare calcium silicate mineral. Its relatively simple chemistry defies the rarity of this mineral. The mineral forms deep within the Earth's crust near the mantle. Crystals can be colored a beautiful lavender to blue color and specimens are quite attractive.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Color is lavender to sky blue, white or colorless.
Luster is vitreous to adamantine.
Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is triclinic; bar 1
Crystal Habits include bladed crystals and stellate aggregates and columnar specimens.
Cleavage is absent.
Hardness is 3.5
Specific Gravity is 2.7 (average).
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals are phlogopite, barite, apatite, priderite, hydroxyapophyllite, bultfonteinite, khibinskite, djerfisherite, titanite, monazite, witherite and perovskite.
Notable Occurrences are limited to the type locality from where it gets its name, Suolun, Inner Mongolia, China as well as Black Lake Mine, Coleraine Township, Quebec and Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories, Canada; Kulaski, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Al Khawd, near Masqat, Oman.
Best Field Indicators crystal habit, color, hardness, cleavage and localities.

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SUOLUNITE specimens:
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SUOLUNITE specimen suo-1
$ 45.00

Dims: 1.7x1.3x1.5" (4.4x3.2x3.7 cm)

Wt: 1.6 oz. (46.5g)

Black Lake Mine, Thetford, Quebec, Canada

This specimen is nearly pure suolunite, a surprisingly rare mineral. The color is a pale lavender, and it is translucent, almost transparent in some spots. There are no crystal faces or cleavage. I'm not sure if the rough surface is due to constrained growth or to a hackly fracture. Portions of the surface have a light crust of a white mineral that has no crystal form.

suo-1 ($ 45.00)

Black Lake Mine, Thetford, Quebec, Canada