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Identity HelpListwanite?

6th Nov 2016 07:00 UTCW4nder

09045660016030643892249.jpg
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I identified this as nephrite Jade using the following tests.

Location was Deer Creek, Snohomish County Washington. (Location known for nephrite)

No reaction to magnet

Streak is white

Can be scratched by glass (mohs 6)

No discernable reaction to hcl acid

Specific gravity 2.923077 (obtained by directions on this site http://www.johnbetts-fineminerals.com/jhbnyc/articles/specific_gravity.htm)


I have since been told it is called Listwanite.

Problem is. . . I can't find much info on Listwanite (did find plenty of places to BUY it, but nothing about its physical properties. )


I tried searching for listvenite, listvanite, or listwaenite.


The ONLY source of info I've found is the Wikipedia page, and it doesn't offer much.


Anybody have a resource they can point me to, or possiby an alternate name?

6th Nov 2016 09:33 UTCErik Vercammen Expert

The name of this mineral is nephrite, as you identied it. For color or structural varieties, alot of names are used, either old local names, names for colors (like citrine for a yellow form of the mineral quartz), or newly invented names that sound more exquisite (and thus more expensive).

6th Nov 2016 12:44 UTCAlfred L. Ostrander

Listwanite is a rock, not a mineral. It is formed when ultramafic rocks, often mantle peridotites are carbonated. That is, the rock is converted to secondary carbonate minerals. You indicated your specimen did not react to HCl. If this was listwanite it would have reacted to to the calcite usually found in listwanite.

I agree this is probably nephrite and is misidentified. Being an uncommon rock name from petrology, I don't consider the name to be a structural variety, color variety or an invented name for marketing purposes. Considering the geology involved I consider it a bad or abused use of a proper rock name.


Best Regards,

Al O

6th Nov 2016 14:12 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

Listvenite can also consist of very tough, massive dolomite + magnesite, with no noticeable reaction to hydrochloric acid. To me, this photo does resemble a listvenite more than a nephrite jade. Saw it open and check the internal structure.

6th Nov 2016 16:45 UTCReiner Mielke Expert

If it contains dolomite then powder some before you put HCl on it, then it will react like unpowdered calcite.

6th Nov 2016 17:26 UTCMichael Hatskel

If I remember it right, in the listvenite rock, the green minerals should be micaceous - fuchsite (green mica) and chlorite, no nephrite. Also, serpentine and talc are possible, if the rock is not completely converted from serpentinite into listvenite.

Carbonate indeed shall be magnesian, so pulverizing it should help with the HCl test.

IMHO the rock texture doesn't look schistose/flaky enough for listvenite.

6th Nov 2016 18:26 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

Michael, I found very tough (as tested with hammer) green stream cobbles derived from a listvenite once. At first I was excited, thinking it to be jade. Under the microscope it looked very homogenous, extremely fine-grained, individual cleavages hardly visible. But XRD showed it to be composed of mostly dolomite and magnesite. XRF showed the presence of Cr, presumably accounting for the green color. It was very deceiving - Hard to believe the rock was mostly carbonate. One more thing to add to the long list of pseudo-jades.

6th Nov 2016 19:01 UTCRussell Boggs

This material is found in several areas in the Stilligumish and Skagit river areas, mostly around Matblemount. It is a metamophic rock with the green color caused by various unidentified nickel silicates. It has been called a variety of misleading names by local rockhound including listwinite and nickelite. We call it Cascadia to use a non'sientific name for it as a lapidary material. It tends to weather to secondary iron oxides but unalter material polishes well.
 
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