spurrite

Spurrite is a white, yellow or light blue mineral with monoclinic crystals. Its chemical formula is Ca5(SiO4)2CO3.

Key facts

Mineral.name: Spurrite
Mineral.category: Nesosilicate
Mineral.image: Spurrite Calcium silicate and carbonate Luna county New mexico 1873.jpg
Mineral.caption: Spurrite from New Mexico
Mineral.formula: Ca5(SiO4)2CO3
Mineral.IMAsymbol: Spu
Mineral.strunz: 9.AH.15
Mineral.system: Monoclinic
Mineral.class: Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol)
Mineral.symmetry: P21/a
Mineral.color: Gray, gray white to lilac gray
Mineral.habit: Massive to granular
Mineral.twinning: Polysynthetic twins on [001] and [101]
Mineral.cleavage: Distinct on [100]
Mineral.fracture: Uneven to splintery
Mineral.mohs: 5
Mineral.luster: vitreous to resinous
Mineral.refractive: nα = 1.640–1.641 nβ = 1.674–1.676 nγ = 1.679–1.681

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Wikidata facts

Image: Spurrite-540261.jpg

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Commons category: Spurrite
Nickel-Strunz '10th ed', review of (9th ed/ 2009 update): 9.AH.15
Nickel-Strunz 9th edition (updated 2009): 9.AH.15
Mohs' hardness: 5
IMA Mineral Symbol: Spu
chemical formula: Ca₅(SiO₄)₂(CO₃)
Strunz 8th edition (series ID, updated): VIII/A’.06a

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Discovery and occurrence
Cement manufacture contaminant
References

Spurrite is a white, yellow or light blue mineral with monoclinic crystals. Its chemical formula is Ca5(SiO4)2CO3.

Spurrite is generally formed in contact metamorphism zones as mafic magmas are intruded into carbonate rocks. Spurrite's space group is P 2/a. It is biaxial with a birefringence of 0.0390–0.0400, giving second order red interference colors when viewed under crossed polarizers in a petrographic microscope.