Thumbnails
Lueshite crystals
© Gilles Haineault
Lueshite crystals
© Doug Merson
NaNbO
Lueshite, a member of the perovskite group, occurs rarely at
Mont Saint-Hilaire.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color is usually black.
Luster is submetallic.
Diaphaneity is opaque.
Crystal System is isometric; (??)
Crystal Habits include small pseudo-cubic crystals to 1.5mm
and deformed pseudo-octahedra.
Cleavage {001} is easy.
Fracture is conchoidal.
Hardness is 5.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 4.5 g/cm
Streak is gray.
Associated Minerals include aegirine, albite, eudialyte, griceite,
lovozerite, pectolite, sodalite, sphalerite, steenstrupine,
ussingite and villiaumite.
Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit and color.
Origin: Named in 1959 after its discovery locality at Lueshe,
north of Goma, Zaire.
CLASSIFICATION:
Dana System
# 4.3.3.4
Strunz Classification
# IV/C.10-60
REFERENCES:
MinRec 21:321 (1990), Dana 8:224 (1997)
DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:
MSH
¤¤¤