Rouvilleite (TL)

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Rouvilleite crystals - click for larger pic
Rouvilleite crystals
© Reproduced courtesy of
Canadian
Museum of Nature

Ottawa, Canada

Rouvilleite crystals - click for larger pic
Rouvilleite crystals
© Reproduced courtesy of
Canadian
Museum of Nature

Ottawa, Canada

NaCa(CO

Rouvilleite (formerly UK62) was discovered in the fall of 1988 in a sodalite syenite inclusion of 0.5m diameter in the nepheline syenite at Mont Saint-Hilaire. The mineral is moderately abundant in this particular inclusion. The occurrence of rouvelleite within villiaumite and kupletskite within rouvilleite, suggests crystallization of rouvilleite after kupletskite and prior to villiaumite.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Color is pale tan to colorless, but often appears reddish brown due to
kupletskite inclusions.
Luster is vitreous to slightly waxy.
Diaphaneity is transparent, slightly translucent with inclusions.
Crystal System is monoclinic; Cc or 2/
Crystal Habits include crystalline masses to 3mm and rarely as
euhedral prismatic crystals to 1mm.
Cleavage: {001} is good and {010} is imperfect.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is ~3.
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.67 g/cm
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include aegirine, analcime, burbankite, cancrinite,
catapleiite, cryolite, eudialyte, fluorite, galena, kogarkoite, kupletskite,
lorenzenite, microcline, molybdenite, natrolite, pectolite, pyrophanite,
sérandite, shortite, steenstrupine, thermonatrite, villiaumite,
vinogradovite, vitusite and vuonnemite.
Distinguishing Features: Brittle. Non fluorescent. Cleavage.
Origin: Named in 1991 and inspired by Rouville County, within which the
Monteregian hill, Mont Saint-Hilaire is located.

CLASSIFICATION:

Dana System
# 16a.5.5.1

Strunz Classification
# V/C.06-25

REFERENCES:
CanMin 29:107-111 (1991), Dana 8:496 (1997)

DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:

MSH
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