Daqingshanite-(Ce) is extremely rare at Mont Saint-Hilaire. It was originally found at MSH in 1976, was recognized as a new species and appointed as UK #44. Due to the rarity of the mineral and difficulties with the definition of the crystal structure, no progress was made. The mineral was subsequently found at Bayan Obo in 1980 and described.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is usually pale yellow.
- Luster is greasy to vitreous.
- Diaphaneity: transparent.
- Crystal System is hexagonal; R3m or R32.
- Crystal Habits include sharp hemimorphic crystals displaying
trigonal pyramids and complex twinned aggregates. - Cleavage {1011} is perfect.
- Fracture is conchoidal.
- Hardness is (?).
- Specific Gravity is approximately 3.8 g/cm3.
- Streak is white.
- Associated Minerals include albite, anatase, ancylite, chlorite
group and pyrite. - Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit.
- Origin: Named in 1983 after its discovery locality, Daqingshan,
at Bayan Obo, Inner Mongolia, China.
| Dana class # | 17.1.10.1 – Carbonates; compound carbonates |
| Strunz class # | VII/B.38-10 – Phosphates, arsenates and vanadates; water-free phosphates with unfamiliar anions F, Cl, O, OH. cations of medium and big size: Mg, Cu, Zn, and Ca, Na, K, Ba, Pb |