Gerenite-(Y) Mineral Data

[Content and History] [Recent Issues] [Back Issues] [Subscriptions] [Contacts]
See Also: [Diamond Crystals] [Excalibur Minerals] [Hudson Institute] [Minerals on CDROM]
Mineral News was founded some twenty years ago and has developed a following of
avid mineral collectors seeking timely information about new finds and other items
of interest to the collector community. Articles are solicited from collector and scientific authors.

General Gerenite-(Y) Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ca,Na)2(Y,REE)3Si6O18•2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 872.18 gm

Sodium 1.32 % Na 1.78 % Na₂O

Calcium 6.89 % Ca 9.64 % CaO

La,Ce,Pr,Nd,Sm, 12.38 % RE 14.45 % REE₂O₃

Yttrium 22.94 % Y 29.13 % Y₂O₃

Silicon 19.32 % Si 41.33 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 0.46 % H 4.13 % H₂O

Oxygen 36.69 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.46 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca_1.5Na_0.5Y_2.25REE_0.75Si₆O₁₈•2(H₂O)

Environment:

Cyclosilicate with structural similarities to kainosite-(Y) and leifite. Found in an aplite-pegmatite lens.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1998 (Dana # Added)

Locality:

Strange Lake perialkaline complex on the Quebec-Labrador border, Canada. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

For Richard Geren (1917-), former executive vice-president of the Iron Ore Company of Canada. Mr. Geren initiated and supported the exploration program of the Strange Lake deposit.

Name Pronunciation:

Gerenite-(Y)

Synonym:

ICSD 85571

IMA1993-034

Gerenite-(Y) Image

Images:

Gerenite-(Y)

Comments: BSE image of eutectoid intergrowth of quartz (black) and gerenite-(Y) (white). (CanMin, v36:793).
Location: Strange Lake peralkaline complex, Quebec-Labrador boundary, Canada. Scale: Scale Bar 100 µm.
© Canadian Mineralogist

Gerenite-(Y) Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9546:1:0.5689

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.245, b = 9.684, c = 5.51, Z = 1; alpha = 97.44°, beta = 100.4°, gamma = 116.7° V = 429.81 Den(Calc)= 3.37

Crystal System:

Triclinic - PinacoidalH-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Groat L A , The Canadian Mineralogist , 36 (1998) p.801-808, The crystal structure of gerenite-(Y), (Ca,Na)2(Y,REE)3Si6O18.2H2O,, a cyclosilicate mineral

Physical Properties of Gerenite-(Y)

Cleavage:

{101} Indistinct

Color:

White, Cream white.

Density:

3.3 - 3.52, Average = 3.41

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Uneven - Very brittle fracture producing uneven fragments.

Habit:

Anhedral Grains - Granular minerals without the expression of crystal shapes

Habit:

Microscopic Crystals - Crystals visible only with microscopes.

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Gerenite-(Y)

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.073 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.081 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1764,KPDmeas= 0.1779,KC= 0.192
Ncalc = 1.63 - 1.68

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.602, b=1.607, g=1.611, bire=0.0090

Calculated Properties of Gerenite-(Y)

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.26 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Gerenite-(Y) =3.41 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.03
Boson Index = 0.97

Photoelectric:

PE_Gerenite-(Y)= 103.19 barns/electron
U=PE_Gerenite-(Y) x r_electron= 336.47 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 12,675.35 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Concentration of Gerenite-(Y) per GRapi unit = 78.89 (PPM)

Gerenite-(Y) is Radioactive as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. Greater than 70 Bq / gram.

**Estimated Radioactivity from Gerenite-(Y)** - weak
Specimen Size Weight/Volume (Sphere) *	Calculated Activity Bequerols (Bq)	Calculated Activity Curies (Ci)	Estimated Activity GR(api)	Estimated Exposure (mRem**)/hr If Held in Hand For One Hour
1000 gm / 8.24 cm	278,369	7.52E-06	12,675.35	4.17
100 gm / 3.83 cm	27,837	7.52E-07	1,267.54	0.42
10 gm / 1.78 cm	2,784	7.52E-08	126.75	0.04
1 gm / 8.24 mm	278	7.52E-09	12.68	0.00
0.1 gm / 3.83 mm	28	7.52E-10	1.27	0.00
0.01 gm / 1.78 mm	3	7.52E-11	0.13	0.00
0.001 gm / 0.82 mm	0	7.52E-12	0.01	0.00

Weight of pure Gerenite-(Y) in grams (gm) and Calculated Diameter of a Sphere with a Density of 3.41 gm/cc.*
Goverment Estimate of Average Annual Exposure ( 360 mRem) **
Note: 10 microsieverts/hr = 1 mRem/hr **
Max Permissable Adult Dose 50,000 mRem/yr (hands), 15,000 mRem/yr (eyes)
Lethal Dose LD(50) Exposure 400,000 to 500,000 mRem
Estimated Thorium Activity ( 0.62 % Th) From Sum REE Elements (12.38 % REE)

Gerenite-(Y) Classification

Dana Class:

61.01.06.01 (61)Cyclosilicate Six-Membered Rings

(61.01)with [Si6O18] rings; possible (OH) and Al substitution

(61.01.06)Dana Group

61.01.06.01 Gerenite-(Y)! (Ca,Na)2(Y,REE)3Si6O18•2(H2O) P1 1

Strunz Class:

09.CJ.45 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.C - Cyclosilicates

09.CJ -[Si6O18]12- 6-membered single rings (sechser-Einfachringe),

09.CJ.45 Gerenite-(Y)! (Ca,Na)2(Y,REE)3Si6O18•2(H2O) P1 1

Other Gerenite-(Y) Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(MinRec) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Gerenite-(Y) :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - MinDAT
7 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
8 - Online Mineral Museum
9 - QUT Mineral Atlas
10 - Ruff.Info
11 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Gerenite-(Y) using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [bing] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Scirus] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Gerenite-(Y) :

B & L Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Auctions

John Betts Fine Minerals

Lapis Mineral Journal

Mineral News

UV Tools

Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Gerenite-(Y) Mineral Data :

Ask about Gerenite-(Y) here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Gerenite-(Y) Specimen Label here :

Gerenite-(Y)

(Ca,Na)2(Y,REE)3Si6O18•2(H2O)
Dana No: 61.01.06.01 Strunz No: 09.CJ.45
Locality:

Notes: