Behoite is an extremely rare accessory mineral at MSH.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is usually white or colorless and pale pink; crusts
are white.
- Luster is greasy to dull; crusts are dull.
- Diaphaneity is translucent to opaque; rarely transparent.
- Crystal System is orthorhombic; P212121.
- Crystal Habits include well formed wedge-shaped crystals forming
radiating spherical aggregates to 4mm in diameter; groups of
prismatic crystals to 7mm with very steep wedge-shaped terminations
forming reticulated aggregates and thin crusts.
- Cleavage has not been observed.
- Fracture is conchoidal.
- Hardness is 4.
- Specific Gravity is approximately 1.9 g/cm3.
- Streak is white.
- Associated Minerals include aegirine, albite, analcime, astrophyllite,
calcite, epididymite, fluorite, franconite, gaidonnayite, leucophanite,
mangan-neptunite, microcline, natrolite, polylithionite, pyrochlore,
rhabdophane, rhodochrosite, rutile, sérandite, siderite, sphalerite
and thomsonite. - Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit.
- Origin: Named in 1970 for its composition, Be + HO (=OH).
| Dana class # | 6.2.2.1 – Oxides; hydroxides and oxides containing hydroxyl |
| Strunz class # | IV/F.1-20 – Oxides; hydroxides and oxidic hydrates, water-bearing oxides with layered structure; sassolite – clinobehoite series |