Britholite-(Ce) is an uncommon member of the apatite group at Mont Saint-Hilaire. It is very similar to several other species such as pectolite, cancrinite and revdite, and visual identification is impossible.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is usually colorless.
- Luster is adamantine.
- Diaphaneity is transparent to translucent, and opaque.
- Crystal System is hexagonal; P63/m or P63.
- Crystal Habits include radiating groups of prismatic crystals
to 1.5mm long, tabular grains and anhedral grains. - Cleavage none observed.
- Fracture is conchoidal to uneven.
- Hardness is approximately 5.
- Specific Gravity is > 3.9 g/cm3.
- Streak is brown.
- Associated Minerals include aegirine, analcime, astrophyllite,
biotite, calcite, fluorite, monazite, pectolite, sodalite and zircon. - Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit and luster.
- Origin: Named in 1901 from the Greek brithos, weight, alluding
to its relatively high specific gravity.
| Dana class # | 52.4.9.1 – Nesosilicates: insular SiO4 groups and O, OH, F, and H2O |
| Strunz class # | VIII/B.27-60 – Silicates; nesosilicates |