Cerite
Cerite is a complex silicate mineral group containing cerium, formula (Ce,La,Ca)
9(Mg,Fe3+
)(SiO
4)
6(SiO
3OH)(OH)
3.[3] The cerium and lanthanum content varies with the Ce rich species (cerite-(Ce)) and the La rich species (cerite-(La)).[5][6] Analysis of a sample from the Mountain Pass carbonatite gave 35.05% Ce
2O
3 and 30.04% La
2O
3.[3]
| Cerite | |
|---|---|
 Cerite - Bastnas - Deposit Topotype | |
| General | |
| Category | Silicate mineral group |
| Formula (repeating unit) | (Ce,La,Ca) 9(Mg,Fe3+ )(SiO 4) 6(SiO 3OH)(OH) 3 |
| IMA symbol | Crt[1] |
| Crystal system | Trigonal |
| Crystal class | Ditrigonal pyramidal (3m) (same H-M symbol) |
| Space group | R3c |
| Identification | |
| Color | Clove-brown with a reddish tinge; pale lavender-brown to colorless in thin fragments |
| Crystal habit | Massive granular |
| Cleavage | None |
| Fracture | Uneven |
| Mohs scale hardness | 5 to 5.5 |
| Luster | Vitreous to resinous |
| Streak | White to greyish white |
| Diaphaneity | Subtranslucent to opaque |
| Specific gravity | 4.7 to 4.86 |
| Optical properties | Uniaxial (+) |
| Refractive index | nω = 1.806 - 1.810 nε = 1.810 - 1.820 |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.010 |
| References | [2][3][4] |
Cerite was first described in 1803 for an occurrence in Bastnäs in Västmanland, Sweden.[4] The lanthanum rich species, cerite-(La) was first described for an occurrence in the Khibina massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia in 2002.[7]
References
- Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- Mineralienatlas
- http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/ceritece.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy
- http://webmineral.com/data/Cerite-(Ce).shtml Webmineral (Ce)
- http://www.mindat.org/min-931.html Mindat Cerite-(Ce)
- http://www.mindat.org/min-26408.html Mindat Cerite-(La)
- http://webmineral.com/data/Cerite-(La).shtml Webmineral (La)
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