Bavenite

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Bavenite crystals - click for larger pic
Bavenite crystals – 7mm
Photo by Gilles Haineault
© Gilles Haineault

Bavenite crystals - click for larger pic
Bavenite crystals
Doug Merson photo
© Doug Merson

CaBeAlSi26(OH)

Bavenite is an extremely rare accessory mineral at Mont Saint-Hilaire.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Color is usually colourless or white.
Luster is vitreous to pearly on blade surfaces.
Diaphaneity is transparent to opaque.
Crystal System is orthorhombic; Cmcm
Crystal Habits include superb very thin tabular crystals to 5mm,
in divergent groups like the pages of a book; some of these
groups are stacked very tightly forming cylindrical aggregates.
Cleavage {100} is perfect and {001} is indistinct.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is 5.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.8 g/cm
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include apophyllite series, clinoamphibole
group, magadiite, molybdenite, natrolite, pectolite, phlogopite,
quartz and thaumasite.
Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit.
Origin: Named in 1901 for its discovery locality, at Baveno,
Lago Maggiore, Piemonte, Italy.

CLASSIFICATION:

Dana System
# 70.5.3.1

Strunz Classification
# VIII/G.7-10

REFERENCES:
MinRec 21:298 (1990), Dana 8:1403-1404 (1997)

DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:

MSH
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