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Vesuvianite crystal
Canadian
Museum of Nature
Photo by Violet Anderson
© Royal Ontario Museum
Vesuvianite crystal
Photo by Violet Anderson
© Royal Ontario Museum
Vesuvianite crystals
© Doug Merson
Vesuvianite crystals
© Modris Baum
Ca10MgAl(SiO(Si(OH)
Vesuvianite is relatively common at MSH.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color varies from pale yellow to lemon-yellow, orange-yellow, brown,
greenish brown.
Luster is vitreous to resinous.
Diaphaneity is transparent to translucent, opaque on larger crystals.
Crystal System is tetragonal; 4/nnc
Crystal Habits include tabular crystals to 1.5cm and acicular crystals
to 1.5cm that may form attractive spherical aggregates to 2.5 cm;
occasionally as embedded crystals or irregular grains.
Cleavage {110} is indistinct, {010} and {000} are very indistinct.
Fracture is uneven to subconchoidal.
Hardness is 6 – 7.
Specific Gravity is approximately 3.4 g/cm
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include aegirine, analcime, andradite, apophyllite
series, biotite, calcite, fluorite, grossular, microcline, molybdenite,
natrolite, pectolite, pyrite and sodalite.
Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit and forms.
Origin: Named in 1795 after its discovery locality, in ejected volcanic
blocks at Mount Vesuvius, Campania, Italy.
CLASSIFICATION:
Dana System
# 58.2.4.1
Strunz Classification
# VIII/C.26-10
REFERENCES:
MinRec 21:344-345 (1990), Dana 8:1213-1215 (1997)
DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:
MSH
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Vesuvianite crystals
© Doug Merson
Vesuvianite crystals
© Stephan Wolfsried
Vesuvianite crystals
© Stephan Wolfsried
Vesuvianite crystals
© Stephan Wolfsried
Vesuvianite crystals
© Elmar Lackner