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Vuonnemite crystal
Photo by Violet Anderson
© Royal Ontario Museum
Vuonnemite crystal
© Doug Merson
Vuonnemite crystals
© Stephan Wolfsried
NaNbTi3+(Si · 2NaPO
Vuonnemite is rare at Mont Saint-Hilaire. It fluoresces intense greenish-yellow under SW, and pale yellow under LW and retains a faint bluish-green phosphorescence.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color is usually pale yellow to lemon-yellow.
Luster is vitreous to greasy.
Diaphaneity is transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is triclinic; 1.
Crystal Habits include tabular crystals to 2cm, embedded cleavages
and free-standing crystals to 6cm.
Cleavage {001} and two others are perfect.
Fracture is (??).
Hardness is 2 – 3.
Specific Gravity is approximately 3.1 g/cm
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include analcime, eudialyte and microcline.
Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit and color.
Origin: Named in 1973 after its discovery locality, near the Vuonnemiok
River, Khibina alkaline complex, Russia.
CLASSIFICATION:
Dana System
# 56.4.3.1
Strunz Classification
# VIII/E.07-180
REFERENCES:
MinRec 21:346 (1990), Dana 8:1187 (1997)
DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:
MSH
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