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Uses of Scapolite
Scapolite does not have a role as an industrial mineral. It is rarely found in minable quantities and does not have a composition or physical properties that make it of industrial use. The only use of scapolite is as a minor gemstone; however, in that use it can be beautiful and interesting. Yellow and pink transparent…
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Physical Properties of Scapolite
Scapolite has an appearance that is very similar to many feldspars. As a result, it can easily be overlooked in the field and during hand specimen examination in a laboratory. Massive scapolite is found in regionally metamorphosed rocks such as marble, gneiss, and schist. These massive specimens often exhibit a wood-grain or fibrous texture which facilitates their identification. Well-formed,…
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What is Scapolite?
Scapolite is a name used for a group of aluminosilicate minerals that includes meionite, marialite, and silvialite. Meionite and marialite are end members of a solid solution series. Silvialite is a mineral that is very similar to meionite. These minerals have very similar compositions, crystal structures, and physical properties. They cannot be easily distinguished from one…
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Geologic Occurrence
As a beryllium mineral, chrysoberyl only forms under those conditions where large amounts of beryllium are present. This limits its abundance and geographic distribution. High concentrations of mobile beryllium most often occur on the margins of magma bodies during the final stages of their crystallization. Thus, chrysoberyl usually forms in pegmatites and in metamorphic rocks associated with…
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Physical Properties of Chrysoberyl
One of the most distinctive properties of chrysoberyl is its exceptional hardness. With a Mohs hardness of 8.5, it is the third-hardest gemstone and the third-hardest mineral that is even occasionally found at Earth’s surface. Although chrysoberyl is extremely hard, it does break with distinct cleavage in one direction and indistinctly or poorly in two others. It…
