General Information:
Chemical Formula:
KAlSi3O8
Composition:
(Molecular Weight = 278.33 gm)
Potassium 14.05 % K
Aluminum 9.69 % Al
Silicon 30.27 % Si
Oxygen 45.99 % O
Empirical Formula:
KAlSi3O8
Environment:
Granitic pegmatites, hydrothermal and metamorphic rocks.
Locality:
Common world wide occurrences.
Name Origin:
From the Greek mikron - "little" and klinein - "to stoop."
Physical Properties:
Cleavage:
[001] Perfect, [010] Good
Color:
bluish green, green, gray, grayish yellow, or yellowish.
Density:
2.56
Diaphaniety:
Translucent to transparent
Habits:
Blocky - Crystal shape tends to be equant (e.g. feldspars)., Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals., Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).
Hardness:
6 - Orthoclase
Luminescence:
Non-fluorescent.
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak:
white
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