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Magnificent carletonite crystals
© Gilles Haineault
Carletonite crystals
© Doug Merson
Carletonite crystals
© Stephan Wolfsried
Carletonite crystals
3 x 2 cm
© Gilles Haineault
K,NaCaSi(CO(OH,F) · H
Mont Saint-Hilaire is the type and only locality for Carletonite. Color-zoning is one of the characteristics of carletonite and is very common, with a gradual or very sharp and irregular transition. Phantoms occur in many of the smaller transparent blue crystals, with a darker blue core and a colorless to pale blue outer zone.
Example of pleochroism on Carletonite
© Dr Blaise Canzian
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color varies from pale to deep blue, pink to colorless to white.
Luster is dull to vitreous to silky.
Diaphaneity is transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is tetragonal, 4/mbm
Crystal Habits include short to long tetragonal prisms, crystalline
masses.
Cleavage: {001} is perfect and {110} is distinct.
Fracture is conchoidal.
Hardness is 4 to 4.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.45 g/cm
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include chkalovite, erdite, kogarkoite,
makatite, natrophosphate, rasvumite, revdite, sazhinite-(Ce),
sidorenkite, thalcusite, tugtupite, vitusite-(Ce).
Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit, color-zoning in smaller
crystals and etched surfaces.
Origin: Named in 1971 for Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada;
where it was first recognized.
CLASSIFICATION:
Dana System
# 72.3.1.4
Strunz Classification
# VIII/H.7-10
REFERENCES:
AmMin 56:1855-1866 (1971), AmMin 57:765-778 (1972),
MinRec 21:301-302 (1990), Dana 8:1528 (1997)
DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:
MSH
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Carletonite crystal
Photo by R. Lavinsky
© www.irocks.com
Carletonite crystal
Photo by R. Lavinsky
© www.irocks.com