Latitude: 61°12'22"N
Longitude: 48°10'32"W
Ivigtut was the World's only mine for cryolite. Cryolite was used [as early as the nineteenth century] as a flux for processing bauxite in aluminium production and before that to produce opaline glass. The mine closed several times in the 1960s, 1970s & 1980s but production continued - dumps were dug out, the mine reopened to excavate low-grade ore and finally the pier, made from 'waste rock', was removed and processed.
Most of the interesting sulphides are known from small spots in polished ore sections (galena is a good indicator mineral!). In cryolite only pyrite, galena, sphalerite and chalcopyrite are common. Molybdenite chiefly occurs in the host rock, enclosing the cryolite ore body.
Ivigtut is a spectacular source of rare minerals, but optimistic erroneous identifications abound. Cryolite crystals are for all practical purposes rarely available - they were collected a long time ago and everybody wants them. Virtually all specimens came from two, large pockets. By far most of the 'Cryolite crystals' I see are thomsenolite, pachnolite, ralstonite or something similar, subject to optimistic interpretation. Incidentally, thomsenolite does occur as parallel grown very large pseudo-cubic crystals and/or crystals with strong basal cleavage that make good cryolite imitations!
Particularly European dealers in the 1980s offered prosopite crystals, more often than not accompanied by assurances they had been 'x-rayed' and were thus correctly identified. Bogus! Most - most, but not all! - of these are microscopic crystals of ralstonite, coating the interior of druses in massive blue prosopite. Obviously, if you remove the interior of a druse with a dental drill, and look for prosopite on your X-ray machine, you are going to find ... prosopite! This comes from the matrix, not the crystals. Prosopite crystals are quite rare, invariably 'flattened six-sided' (say, like a double arrow head), whereas ralstonite is cubic (and in this association, usually octahedral).
[Many uninformed people claim Ivigtut as the locality for their specimens merely because it is the most famous locality there.] Villiaumite ... when I see this, I usually just walk away from the perpetrator. villiaumite is sodium fluoride, comes from Greenland, and thus must be from Ivigtut 'where all the fluorides come from.' I doubt anybody would accept a claim of benitoite [should be from Gem Mine, San Benito Co., California] as coming the Stewart Mine near Pala, San Diego Co. [lithium pegmatite with tourmaline] merely because both produce interesting silicates? In Greenland, villiaumite occurs exclusively at Kvanefjeld in the Ilimaussaq alkaline intrusion near Narssaq ... a bit further than San Diego Co. is from San Benito Co.
(Comments by Claus Hedegaard, 8. 12. 2007)
Mineral List
97 entries listed. 87 valid minerals. 17 type localities (valid minerals).
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References
[In alphabetical order.]
- d’Andrada, J. B. (1800): Der eigenschaften und kennzeichen einiger neuen fossilien aus Schweden und Norwegen nebst einigen chemischen bemerkungen ueber dieselben. Allgemeines Journal der Chemie 4, 28-39 [description of cryolite]
- Abildgaard, P.C. 1801. Om norske Titanertser og om en nye Steenart fra Grønland, som bestaar af Flusspatsyre og Alunjord. Videnskabernes Selskabs Skrifter, Bind 3, 1.1, 306-316
- Ayrton, Stephen Neville. 1963. A Contribution to the Geological Investigations in the Region of Ivigtut, SW Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, 167(3) (Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse)
- Bailey, J.C. (1980): Formation of cryolite and other aluminofluorides: A petrologic review. Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark 29, 1-45.
- Baldauf (1910) Zeitschrift für praktische Geologie, Berlin, hale a.S.: 18: 432
- Bernard (1916) Mineralogical Magazine: 14: 202
- Ball, Sydney H. 1922. The Mineral Resources of Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, 63(1)
- Bertelsen, A. & N. Henriksen. 1975. Geological Map of Greenland 1:100000, Ivigtut 61 V.1 Syd. Meddelelser om Grønland, 186(1)
- Bondam, J. & R. Bøgvad. 1955. The geothermal gradient at Ivigtut, South Greenland. Meddelelser fra Dansk Geologisk Forening/Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark, 13, 43-45
- Bondesen, Erling & Niels Henriksen. 1965. On some Pre-cambrian Metadolerites from the Central Ivigtut Region, SW Grønland. Meddelelser om Grønland, 179(2)
- Bøggild, O.B. 1905. Mineralogia Groenlandica. Meddelelser om Grønland, 32
- Bøggild, O.B. 1911. Iagttagelser over Kryolitgruppens Mineraler. Meddelelser om Grønland, 50(3)
- Bøggild, O.B. 1912. De stalaktitiske Mineraler fra Ivigtut. Meddelelser om Grønland, 50(5), 177-185
- Bøggild, O.B. 1912. Krystallform und Zwillingsbildungen des Kryoliths, des Perovskits und des Boracits Zeitschrift für Krystallographie, 50, 349-429
- Bøggild, O.B. 1913. Beobachtungen über die Mineralien der Kryolithgruppe, Zeitschrift für Krystallographie, 51(6), 591-613
- Bøggild, O.B. 1913. Beobachtungen über die Mineralien der Kryolithgruppe, Zeitschrift für Krystallographie, 51(6), 591-613
- Bøggild, O.B. 1913. Die stalaktitischen Mineralien von Ivigtut. Mineralogical and Geological Museum of The University, Copenhagen, Contributions to Mineralogy 13, Zeitschrift für Krystallographie, 51(6), 613-623, pl. XV
- Bøggild, O.B. 1953. The Mineralogy of Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, 149(3) 442 pp. 88 text figs. 1 map
- Bøgvad, Richard. 1933. New Minerals from Ivigtut, Southwest Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, 92(8), 11 pp.
- Bøgvad, Richard. 1938. Weberite, a new Mineral from Ivigtut. Meddelelser om Grønland, 119(7), 11 pp.
- Bøgvad, Richard. 1951. Mineralogical observations on the cryolite deposit at Ivigtut, Greenland. Meddelelser fra Dansk Geologisk Forening (Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark), 12, 109-110
- Callisen, Karen. 1943. Igneous Rocks of the Ivigtut Region, Greenland. Part I: The Nepheline Syenites of the Grønne Dal-Ika Area. Meddelelser om Grønland, 131(8)
- Clausen, Hans. 1928. On the crystal structure of cryolithionite. Mémoires de l'Academie Royale des Sciences et des Lettres de Danemark, Copenhague, section des sciences, 9th series, 1(2), 77-99
- Crommelin, R.D. A Sedimentary Petrological Investigation of a Number of Sand Samples from the South Coast of Greenland between Ivigtut and Frederiksdal. Meddelelser om Grønland, 114(1), 1937.
- d'Andrada, J.B. 1800. Nachrichten von einigen neuen Fossilien aus Schweden und Norwegen; 11) Chryolit. Allgemeines Journal der Chemie, herausgegeben von Alexander Nicolas Scherer, 4, 37-38
- Doelter, C. (1930) Handbuch der Mineral-chemie (in 4 volumes divided into parts): 4(3): 303
- Donnay, J.D.H. 1952. Cryolite twinning. American Mineralogist, 37, 230-234
- Emeleus, C.H. 1964. The Grønnedal-Ika Alkaline Complex, South Greenland: The Structure and Geological History of the Complex. Meddelelser om Grønland, 172(3) (Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse) 75 pp. 25 text figs. 3 maps
- Geodætisk Institut. 1975. Grønland: (1:250.000) 61 V.1 Ivigtut [map]
- Gordon, S.G. 1939. Wulfenite, ralstonite and thomsenolite from Ivigtut, Greenland. Academy of Sciences in Philadelphia, Notulae Naturae, 11, 1-2
- Hagemann, G. 1866. On some minerals associated with the Cryolite in Greenland. The American Journal of Science and Art, 2nd series, 42(124), 93-94
- Hawthorne, F.C. & R.B. Ferguson. 1975. Refinement of the crystal structure of cryolite. Canadian Mineralogist, 13, 377-382.
- Hedegaard, Claus, 2004, Mineralguide, Ivittuut kryolitbrud by Bjarne Ljungdal. (In Danish)Grønlands Stenklub, ISBN: 87-990597-0-3.
- Henriksen, Niels. 1969. Chemical relations between metabasaltic lavas and metadolerites in the Ivigtut Area, South-West Greenland. Meddelelser fra Dansk Geologisk Forening [Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark], 19(1), 27-50.
- Kalsbeek, F. & Bernard E. Leake. 1970. The Chemistry and Origin of Some Basement Amphibolites between Ivigtut and Frederikshåb, South-West Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, 190(4)
- Karup-Møller, Sven A. 1973. Gustavite-Cosalite-Galena-Bearing Mineral Suite from the Cryolite Deposit at Ivigtut, South Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, 195(5)
- Karup-Møller, Sven A. and Hans Pauly. 1979. Galena and associated ore minerals from the cryolite at Ivigtut, South Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland Geoscience 2.
- Klaproth, M.H. (1802): Untersuchung des Kryoliths, Beiträge zur chemischen Kenntniss der Mineralkörper, Dritter Band, Rottmann Berlin, 207-214
- Krenner, J.A. 1883. Die grönlandischen Minerale der Kryolithgruppe. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschafliche Berichte, Ungarn, 1, 1-24
- Leonardsen, E.S., H. Pauly, O.V. Petersen & J.G. Rønsbo. 1980. Retrieval of Wulfenite from the cryolite deposit, Ivigtut, South Greenland. Meddelelser fra Dansk Geologisk Forening (Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark), 29(3), 145-150
- Ljungdal, Bjarne (2004): Mineral-guide, Ivittuut Kryolitbrud (IN Danish). Grønlands Stenklub 2004. ISBN: 87-990597-0-3
- Møller, Chr. K. 1956. X-ray investigation of Bøggildite. Meddelelser om Grønland, 137(6), + Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse Bulletin no. 14
- Nordenshiöld, A. E. (1886): Mineralogiska bidrag. 10. Arksutit från Ivigtut i Grönland. Geologiska Föreningens i Stockholm Förhandlinger 8: 172-175
- Oen Ing Soen. 1962. Hornblendic Rocks and their Polymetamorphic Derivatives in an Area NW. of Ivigtut, South Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, 169(6)
- Oen Ing Soen & Hans Pauly. 1967. A Sulphide Paragenesis with Pyrrhotite and Markasite in the Siderite-Cryolite Ore of Ivigtut, South Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, 175(5)
- Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 1069
- Pauly, Hans. (1965) Ralstonite from Ivitut, South Greenland. American Mineralogist: 50: 1851-1864
- Pauly, Hans. 1956. Bøggildite. A New Phosphate-Fluoride from Ivigtut, South Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, 137(6), 24 pp. 4 plates
- Pauly, Hans. 1956. Bøggildite. A New Phosphate-Fluoride from Ivigtut, South Greenland. Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse, Bulletin 24
- Pauly, Hans. 1960. Paragenetic relations in the main Cryolite ore of Ivigtut, South Greenland. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Abhandlungen, 94, 121-139
- Pauly, Hans. 1962. Stenonite. A new Carbonate-Fluoride from Ivigtut, South Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland, 169(9) 24 pp. 3 text figs. 2 plates
- Pauly, Hans. 1965. Ralstonite from Ivigtut, South Greenland. American Mineralogist, 50, 1851-1864.
- - Pauly, Hans & H. Siemes. 1973. Microhardness of galena related to Ag-Bi-content, orientation and deformation. Meddelelser fra Dansk Geologisk Forening (Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark), 22(1), 50-78.
- Pauly, Hans. 1978. Twins in Cryolite types from Ivigtut, South Grenland. Meddelelser fra Dansk Geologisk Forening (Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark), 27 (special issue), 7-14
- Pauly, Hans. 1979. Ivigtut, eine einzigartige Pegmatit-Lagerstätte in Südgrönland. Lapis, 4(5), 9-17
- Pauly, Hans. 1985. Hardness of cryolite, chiolite, cryolithionite and other fluorides from Ivigtut, South Greenland. Meddelelser fra Dansk Geologisk Forening (Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark), 34(3-4), 145-150
- Pauly, Hans. 1985. Mechanical properties of cryolite from Ivigtut, South Greenland. Meddelelser fra Dansk Geologisk Forening (Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark), 33(3-4), 401-414
- Pauly, Hans. 1986. Chiolite in the cryolite deposit in Ivigtut, South Greenland, in I.R. Craig, R.D. Hagni, W. Kiesl, I.M. Lange, N.V. Petrovskaya, T.N. Shadlun, G. Udubasa & S.S. Augustithis (eds.), Mineral parageneses, Theophrastus Publications, Athens.
- Pauly, Hans. 1986. Cryolithionite and Li in the cryolite deposit, Ivigtut, South Greenland. Det kongelige danske Videnskabernes Selskab, Matematiske og Fysiske Meddelelser, 41(1), 24 pp.
- Pauly, Hans. 1992. Topaz, prosopite and closing stages of formation of the Ivigtut cryolite deposit, South Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland Geoscience 28, 22 pp. 20 text figs.
- Pauly, Hans & O.V. Petersen. 1986. Pachnolite: new optical data wit a note on artificial precipitates. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie Monatshefte, 1986(6), 241-250
- Pauly, Hans & O.V. Petersen. 1987. Acuminite, a new Sr-fluoride from Ivigtut, South Greenland. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie Monatshefte, 1987(11), 504-514
- Pauly, Hans & O.V. Petersen. 1988. Bøgvadite, Na2SrBa2Al4F20, a new fluoride from the cryolite deposit, Ivigtut, S. Greenland. Meddelelser fra Dansk Geologisk Forening (Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark), 37(1-2), 21-30
- Petersen, Ole V. & Karsten Secher. 1984. Grönland. Mineralien-Geologie-Geschichte. Magma, 6.
- Petersen, O. V and K Secher (1993) The Minerals of Greenland. Mineralogical Record 24:36.
- Steenstrup, K.J.V. 1911. Om Jærnspaten i Kryoliten ved Ivigtut. Meddelelser om Grønland, 47(11)
- Stigø, Svend. 1987. Eventyret om Kryolit, Kryolitselskabet Øresund A/S (København)
- Ussing, N.V. 1904. Sur la cryolithionite, espéce minérals nouvelle. Bulletin de l'Academie Royale des Sciences et des Letres de Danemark, 1, 1-12
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