General Information:
Chemical Formula:
(Ca,Na2,K2,Sr,Mg)[Al2Si4O12]·6(H2O)
Environment:
Amygdaloidal cavities of basalt and related rocks.
IMA Status:
Approved IMA (Dana # Added)
Locality:
Common worldwide.
Name Origin:
From Gk. chabazios, tune or melody, one of twenty stones named in the poem Peri lithos, which extolled the virtues of minerals. The poem is ascribed to Orpheus, legendary founder of the Orphic cult, which flourished in
Physical Properties:
Cleavage:
[1011] Imperfect
Color:
colorless, white, yellowish, pinkish, or reddish white.
Density:
2.05 - 2.15, Average = 2.09
Diaphaniety:
Translucent to transparent
Habits:
Pseudo Cubic - Crystals show a cubic outline., Druse - Crystal growth in a cavity which results in numerous crystal tipped surfaces.,
Hardness:
4 - Fluorite
Luminescence:
Non-fluorescent.
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak:
white
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