THE
MINERAL TINAKSITE
- Chemistry: K2Na(CaMn++)2(TiFe)Si6O17(OH)2, Potasium Sodium Calcium Manganese Titanium Iron Oxide Silicate Hydroxide.
- Class: Silicates
- Subclass: Inosilicates
- Uses: Only as a mineral specimen.
- Specimens
Tinaksite is named for some of the minerals in its composition (Titanium, Sodium, Potasium, Silicon).
Tinaksite is most commonly found as salmon colored fibrous aggregates in
charoite specimens. It is often chatoyant, resulting in a very pretty specimen against the purple charoite.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is pink, pale yellow or light brown.
- Transparency: Specimens are transparent to translucent.
- Luster: Vitreous.
- Crystal System is triclinic.
- Crystal Habit is fibrous or slender prisms (prismatic).
- Hardness is 6.
- Specific Gravity is 2.82 (average).
- Streak is white.
- Notable Occurrences are Murun, Siberia, Russia.
- Best Field Indicators are locality, color, crystal habit and
associations.