Fluorcanasite
Fluorcanasite is a rare calcium, potassium, sodium fluoride silicate mineral, discovered in the Kirovsk mine's dumps, in Russia. It has been approved by the International [Mineralogical Association|IMA] in 2007. The name fluorcanasite is a portmanteau word, and was made by blending fluorine, a chemical element that can be found in the mineral, and canasite, as the mineral is close to canasite in several ways. Fluorcanasite is also close to frankamenite.
Properties
It is the triclinic analogue of canasite, and a member of the canasite group. It grows into prismatic crystals that can reach up to 2 mms in size extending along . It is pleochroic, meaning the color of the mineral seems to change depending on the axis it is viewed at. It is coloured amber, purple and lilac respectively along the α, β and γ optical axes. It has a barely detectable 0.77% potassium radioactivity measured by the GRapi. It consists mostly of oxygen, silicon and calcium, but otherwise contains potassium - which gives its radioactive attributes - fluorine and sodium. Parting is parallel to. Hackly fracture only applies on the b axis, among a and c axis the fracture is stepped.
Occurrences and localities
Fluorcanasite is a type locality at Mount Kukisvumchorr, Russia. It is associated with pectolite, microcline, nepheline, villiaumite, scherbakovite, rasvumite, lamprophyllite, mosandrite, molybdenite and aegirine.