Vinogradovite

Thumbnails

Vinogradovite crystals - click for larger pic
Vinogradovite crystals
Photo by Violet Anderson
© Royal Ontario Museum

Vinogradovite crystals - click for larger pic
Vinogradovite crystal
© Gilles Haineault

Vinogradovite crystals - click for larger pic
Vinogradovite crystals
© Doug Merson

(Na,Ca)(Ti,Nb)(Si{(Si,Al)10

Vinogradovite is a rare mineral at MSH. It is difficult to distinguish from ashcroftine-(Y) and lorenzenite.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Color is usually pale violet to pink, pinkish brown and white.
Luster is vitreous; silky to pearly in acicular and micaceous habits.
Diaphaneity is transparent to translucent; opaque in acicular and
micaceous habits.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/
Crystal Habits include bladed crystals to 3mm forming radiating cluster,
acicular crystals to 2mm and embedded spherical micaceous masses
to 4mm.
Cleavage {010} is perfect.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is 5 – 6.
Specific Gravity is approximately 3.0 g/cm
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include aegirine, albite, amphibole group, analcime,
ancylite, calcite, catapleiite, chlorite group, elpidite, harmotome,
labuntsovite, lorenzenite, marcasite, microcline, pyrochlore, strontianite,
thermonatrite and villiaumite.
Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit, color and luster.
Origin: Named in 1956 after Aleksander Pavlovich Vinogradov
(1895-1975), Russian geochemist.

CLASSIFICATION:

Dana System
# 68.1.2.1

Strunz Classification
# VIII/F.03-70

REFERENCES:
MinRec 21:345 (1990), Dana 8:1379-1389 (1997)

DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:

MSH
¤¤¤

Legend