Name/Title
AlbiteEntry/Object ID
2009.62.146Description
Description: Common Name: Albite
Chemistry: NaAlSi3 O8, Sodium aluminum silicate.
Class: Silicates
Location: Brazil
Description: Large thick wafer-like translucent white crystals with a few large transparent smoky gray crystals imbedded within it. A couple of small layered black crystals are also present.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color is usually white (Albite is derived from the same root word as albino) or colorless but can be shades of blue, yellow, orange and brown.
Luster is vitreous to dull if weathered..
Transparency crystals are translucent to opaque and only sometimes transparent.
Crystal System is triclinic; bar 1
Crystal Habits include blocky, tabular and platy crystals. The typical crystal has a nearly rectangular or square cross-section with slightly slanted dome and pinacoid terminations. A variety called Cleavelandite forms very thin platy crystals that can grow rather large (15+ cm across) but can maintain an even thickness of only a few millimeters. Twinning is almost universal in albite. Crystals can be twinned according to the Albite, Carlsbad, Manebach and Baveno laws. Albite is a common constituent of granitic and syenite rocks. Can also be massive.
Cleavage is perfect in one and good in another direction forming nearly right angled prisms.
Fracture is conchoidal.
Hardness is 6 - 6.5.
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.61 (average)
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals are quartz, tourmaline and muscovite.
Other Characteristics: index of refraction is 1.53. Lamellar twinning may cause a grooved effect on cystal surfaces that appear as striations. Some albite may show an opalescence due to twinning and is referred to as moonstone.
Best Field Indicators are occurence, crystal habit, twinning, striations, density and index of refraction.
Occurrence: Notable Occurrences include Labrador, Canada and the Scandinavian Peninsula.
Variety: Albite is a common felspar and is the "pivot" mineral of two different feldspar series. It is most often associated with the plagioclase series where it is an end member of this series.Collection
RAGM Mineral CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2009.62Source or Donor
Museum Collection of MineralsAcquisition Method
DonationLocation
Category
PermanentMoved By
Scott LonganDate
September 26, 2009Location
Container
RightDrawer
2nd ShelfShelf
RightCabinet
Case #39Wall
West wallRoom
Delmar Smith HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
Permanent