Lazurite Mineral Data

Lazurite Mineral Data +

[Newest Minerals] [Minerals for Sale] [Educational Articles] [About Us] [Image Gallery]
John Betts - Fine Minerals
Classic minerals, out-of-print books & magazines, plus informative articles for collectors

General Lazurite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na3Ca(Al3Si3O12)S

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 498.31 gm

Sodium 13.84 % Na 18.66 % Na₂O

Calcium 8.04 % Ca 11.25 % CaO

Aluminum 16.24 % Al 30.69 % Al₂O₃

Silicon 16.91 % Si 36.17 % SiO₂

Sulfur 6.43 % S 6.43 % S^2-

- % S -3.21 % -O=S

Oxygen 38.53 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₃CaAl₃Si₃O₁₂S

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1890

Locality:

District of Badakhshan, Afghanistan. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Persian lazward - "blue."

Synonym:

Lapis lazuli

Lasurite

Sapphiros of Pliny

Ultamarine pigment

Lazurite Image

Images:

Lazurite

Comments: A single, deep blue, dodecahedron of Lazurite measuring 1 cm on a white marble matrix.
Location: Firgamu, Badakhashan Province, Afghanistan. Scale: 1.2 x 1 x 0.9 cm.
© Isaias Casanova / IC Minerals

Images:

Lazurite Phlogopite

Comments: Gemmy brownish phlogopite crystals on blue lazurite (lapis) matrix with minor pyrite.
Location: Koksha Valley, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. Scale: 10 x 11.5 cm.
© Kevin Ward

Lazurite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.105, Z = 2; V = 754.81 Den(Calc)= 2.19

Crystal System:

Isometric - HextetrahedralH-M Symbol (4 3m) Space Group: P 43n

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.71(1), 2.62(0.8), 2.87(0.45),

Physical Properties of Lazurite

Cleavage:

[110] Imperfect

Color:

Blue, Azure blue, Violet blue, Greenish blue.

Density:

2.38 - 2.42, Average = 2.4

Diaphaniety:

Translucent

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Habit:

Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.

Hardness:

5.5 - Knife Blade

Luminescence:

Fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous - Dull

Streak:

light blue

Optical Properties of Lazurite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.076 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.179 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2333,KPDmeas= 0.2129,KC= 0.1979

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=1.5-1.522.

Calculated Properties of Lazurite

Electron Density:

r_electron=2.37 gm/cc
note: r_Lazurite=2.40 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00867
Boson Index = 0.99133

Photoelectric:

PE_Lazurite= 2.67 barns/electron
U=PE_Lazurite x r_electron= 6.33 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Lazurite is Not Radioactive

Lazurite Classification

Dana Class:

76.2.3.4 (76)Tectosilicate Al-Si Framework

(76.2)Feldspathoids and related species

(76.2.3)Sodalite group

76.2.3.1 Sodalite Na8Al6Si6O24Cl2 P 43n 4 3m

76.2.3.2 Nosean Na8Al6Si6O24(SO4) P 43m 4 3m

76.2.3.3 Hauyne (Na,Ca)4-8Al6Si6(O,S)24(SO4,Cl)1-2 P 43n 4 3m

76.2.3.4 Lazurite Na3Ca(Al3Si3O12)S P 43n 4 3m

76.2.3.5 Bicchulite Ca2Al2SiO6(OH)2 I 43m 4 3m

76.2.3.6 Kamaishilite Ca2Al2SiO6(OH)2 I-lattice Tetra

76.2.3.7 Tugtupite Na4AlBeSi4O12Cl I 4 4

76.2.3.8 Tsaregorodtsevite N(CH3)4AlSi5O12 I 222 2 2 2

Strunz Class:

VIII/J.11-40 VIII - Silicates

VIII/J - Tectosilicates (network) with anions unfamiliar to the tetraheders

VIII/J.11 - Sodalite group, Tsaregorodtsevite - Wadalite series

VIII/J.11-05 Tsaregorodtsevite N(CH3)4AlSi5O12 I 222 2 2 2

VIII/J.11-10 Sodalite Na8Al6Si6O24Cl2 P 43n 4 3m

VIII/J.11-20 Nosean Na8Al6Si6O24(SO4) P 43m 4 3m

VIII/J.11-30 Hauyne (Na,Ca)4-8Al6Si6(O,S)24(SO4,Cl)1-2 P 43n 4 3m

VIII/J.11-40 Lazurite Na3Ca(Al3Si3O12)S P 43n 4 3m

VIII/J.11-50 Tugtupite Na4AlBeSi4O12Cl I 4 4

VIII/J.11-60 Kamaishilite Ca2Al2SiO6(OH)2 I-lattice Tetra

VIII/J.11-70 Bicchulite Ca2Al2SiO6(OH)2 I 43m 4 3m

VIII/J.11-80 Wadalite Ca6Al5Si2O16Cl3 I 43d 4 3m

Other Lazurite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Lazurite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - MinMax(Deutsch)
12 - MinMax(English)
13 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
14 - QUT Mineral Atlas
15 - Ruff.Info
16 - Tradeshop.com - The Rainbow of Gems
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Lazurite using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Scirus] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Lazurite :

AA Mineral Specimens

B & L Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Auctions

John Betts Fine Minerals

Mason's Minerals

Mineral News

Mineral of the Month Club

MineralsWeb Fine Minerals

The GeoZone

Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Lazurite Mineral Data :

Ask about Lazurite 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 Lazurite Specimen Label here :

Lazurite

Na3Ca(Al3Si3O12)S
Dana No: 76.2.3.4 Strunz No: VIII/J.11-40
Locality:

Notes: