Jadeite Mineral Data

[Minerals for Sale] [New Minerals] [Diamond Crystals] [Gem Minerals] [My Best Minerals]
Classic minerals, out-of-print books & magazines, plus informative articles for collectors

General Jadeite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na(Al,Fe+++)Si2O6

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 205.03 gm

Sodium 11.21 % Na 15.11 % Na₂O

Aluminum 11.84 % Al 22.38 % Al₂O₃

Iron 2.72 % Fe 3.89 % Fe₂O₃

Silicon 27.40 % Si 58.61 % SiO₂

Oxygen 46.82 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

NaAl_0.9Fe³⁺_0.1(Si₂O₆)

Environment:

Strongly metamorphosed sodium-rich serpentinous rocks

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1863

Locality:

Clear Creek, San Benito County, California. Near Tawmaw and Hpakan villages, Upper Burma. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Spanish, piedra de ijada, "stone of the side," because its supposed to cure kidney ailments if applied to the side of the body.

Name Pronunciation:

Jadeite

Synonym:

ICSD 10232

PDF 22-1338

Jadeite Image

Images:

Jadeite

Comments: Fibrous crystals of Jadeite.
Location: Russian River, near Cloverdale, Mendocino County, California, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Jadeite Stronalsite

Comments: White stronalsite veinlets in massive pale green jadeite.
Location: Ohasa, Okayama, Japan. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Jadeite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =1.0999:1:0.6095

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.418, b = 8.562, c = 5.219, Z = 4; beta = 107.56° V = 401.23 Den(Calc)= 3.39

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/c

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.83(1), 2.42(0.9), 2.92(0.8),

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

Prewitt C T , Burnham C W , American Mineralogist , 51 (1966) p.956-975, The crystal structure of jadeite, NaAlSi2O6

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Jadeite
[1] [2] [3] [4]

Physical Properties of Jadeite

Cleavage:

{110} Good

Color:

Green, White, Pale bluish gray, Grayish green, Pale purple.

Density:

3.25 - 3.35, Average = 3.3

Diaphaneity:

Translucent to subtranslucent

Fracture:

Tough - Difficult to break apart as shown by fibrous minerals and most metals.

Habit:

Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.

Habit:

Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.

Habit:

Massive - Fibrous - Distinctly fibrous fine-grained forms.

Hardness:

6.5 - Pyrite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Jadeite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.028 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.054 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1979,KPDmeas= 0.2033,KC= 0.2092
Ncalc = 1.68 - 1.71

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.654-1.673, b=1.659-1.679, g=1.667-1.693, bire=0.0130-0.0200, 2V(Calc)=68-78, 2V(Meas)=70-80. Dispersion r < v.

Pleochroism (x):

colorless or green.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless or yellowish green.

Calculated Properties of Jadeite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.26 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Jadeite =3.30 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Jadeite= 2.38 barns/electron
U=PE_Jadeite x rElectron Density= 7.76 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Jadeite is Not Radioactive

Jadeite Classification

Dana Class:

65.01.03c.01 (65)Inosilicate Single-Width Unbranched Chains, W=1

(65.01)with chains P=2

(65.01.03c)C2/c clinopyroxenes (Na clinopyroxenes)

65.01.03c.01 Jadeite Na(Al,Fe)Si2O6 C 2/c 2/m

65.01.03c.02 Aegirine NaFeSi2O6 C 2/c 2/m

65.01.03c.03 Namansilite NaMn(Si2O6) C 2/c 2/m

65.01.03c.04 Kosmochlor NaCrSi2O6 C 2/c 2/m

65.01.03c.05 Natalyite Na(V,Cr)Si2O6 C 2/c 2/m

65.01.03c.06 Jervisite (Na,Ca,Fe)(Sc,Mg,Fe)Si2O6 C 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

09.DA.25 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.D - Inosilicates* Structural terminology according to Liebau (1985)

09.DA -Inosilicates with 2-periodic single chains, Si2O6; pyroxene family

09.DA.25 Aegirine NaFeSi2O6 C 2/c 2/m

09.DA.25 Jadeite Na(Al,Fe)Si2O6 C 2/c 2/m

09.DA.25 Kosmochlor NaCrSi2O6 C 2/c 2/m

09.DA.25 Jervisite (Na,Ca,Fe)(Sc,Mg,Fe)Si2O6 C 2/c 2/m

09.DA.25 Namansilite NaMn(Si2O6) C 2/c 2/m

09.DA.25 Natalyite Na(V,Cr)Si2O6 C 2/c 2/m

Other Jadeite Information

Search for Jadeite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Jadeite :

A Bijoux Google Search for Jadeite
Adam's Minerals Google Search for Jadeite
Cape Minerals Google Search for Jadeite
Dakota Matrix Minerals Google Search for Jadeite
Excalibur Mineral Corp. Google Search for Jadeite
Exceptional Minerals Google Search for Jadeite
John Betts Fine Minerals Search for Jadeite
McDougall Minerals Google Search for Jadeite
Mineral News Website Link
Rock and Mineral Shows Google Search for Jadeite
Weinrich Minerals, Inc. Google Search for Jadeite

Ask about Jadeite 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 Jadeite Specimen Label here :

Jadeite

Na(Al,Fe+++)Si2O6
Dana No: 65.01.03c.01 Strunz No: 09.DA.25
Locality:

Notes: