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Elpasolite

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered

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Photos of Elpasolite (32)

Elpasolite Gallery Search Photos of Elpasolite

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Elpasolite

Le Cetine di Cotorniano Mine, Chiusdino, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy

Elpasolite, etc.

Le Cetine di Cotorniano Mine, Chiusdino, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy

Elpasolite, etc.

Le Cetine di Cotorniano Mine, Chiusdino, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy

Elpasolite

Le Cetine di Cotorniano Mine, Chiusdino, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy

Elpasolite, etc.

Le Cetine di Cotorniano Mine, Chiusdino, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy

Elpasolite, etc.

Le Cetine di Cotorniano Mine, Chiusdino, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy

Elpasolite

Le Cetine di Cotorniano Mine, Chiusdino, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy

Elpasolite, etc.

Le Cetine di Cotorniano Mine, Chiusdino, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy

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About ElpasoliteHide

Formula:

K₂NaAlF₆

Colour:

Colourless

Lustre:

Sub-Vitreous, Greasy

Hardness:

2½

Specific Gravity:

2.995

Crystal System:

Isometric

Member of:

Cryolite Subgroup > Stoichiometric Perovskites Group > Perovskite Supergroup

Name:

First described and named by Cross and Hillebrand (1883,1885) from quartz riebeckite microcline pegmatites at St.Peter’s Dome, El Paso County, Colorado, USA. Named for the type locality (El Paso County).

Type Locality:

ⓘ St Peters Dome, Cheyenne Mining District (St. Peters Dome Mining District), El Paso County, Colorado, USA

This page provides mineralogical data about Elpasolite.

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

1369

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:1369:3

GUID
(UUID V4):

2d80a79f-97c5-4dc2-bcc5-14a7f9d3f879

IMA Classification of ElpasoliteHide

IMA status:

Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)

First published:

1883

Classification of ElpasoliteHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

3.CB.15

3 : HALIDES
C : Complex halides
B : Neso-aluminofluorides

Dana 8th ed.:

11.6.2.1

11 : HALIDE COMPLEXES
6 : Aluminofluorides - Isolated Octahedra

Hey's CIM Ref.:

8.6.7

8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
6 : Halides of Al

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference
Elp	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of ElpasoliteHide

Lustre:

Sub-Vitreous, Greasy

Transparency:

Transparent, Translucent

Colour:

Colourless

Streak:

White

Hardness:

2½ on Mohs scale

Cleavage:

None Observed

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Density:

2.995 g/cm³ (Measured) 3.015 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Chemistry of ElpasoliteHide

Mindat Formula:

K₂NaAlF₆

Elements listed:

Al, F, K, Na - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of ElpasoliteHide

Crystal System:

Isometric

Class (H-M):

m3 (2/m 3) - Diploidal

Space Group:

Pa3

Cell Parameters:

a = 8.12 Å

Unit Cell V:

535.39 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Morphology:

Indistinct crystals at times with indistinct octahedral and cubic faces. Massive. Artificial crystals are cubo-octahedral.

Crystal StructureHide

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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure

ID	Species	Reference	Link	Year	Locality	Pressure (GPa)	Temp (K)
0017967	Elpasolite	Menzer G (1932) Ueber die Kristallstrukturen der Kryolithgruppe _cod_database_code 1011068 Fortschritte der Mineralogie 17 61-61		1932		0	293
0014819	Elpasolite	Sabelli C (1987) Structure refinement of elpasolite from Cetine mine, Tuscany, Italy Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Monatshefte 1987 481-487		1987	Cetine mine, Tuscany, Italy	0	293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Elpasolite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Menzer G'
_journal_name_full 'Fortschritte der Mineralogie'
_journal_volume 17 
_journal_year 1932
_journal_page_first 61
_journal_page_last 61
_publ_section_title
;
 Ueber die Kristallstrukturen der Kryolithgruppe
 _cod_database_code 1011068
;
_database_code_amcsd 0017967
_chemical_formula_sum 'Na K2 Al F6'
_cell_length_a 8.09
_cell_length_b 8.09
_cell_length_c 8.09
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
_cell_angle_gamma 90
_cell_volume 529.475
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      3.038
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'P a 3'
loop_
_space_group_symop_operation_xyz
  'x,y,z'
  '1/2+z,x,1/2-y'
  'z,1/2-x,1/2+y'
  '1/2-z,1/2+x,y'
  '-z,-x,-y'
  '1/2+y,1/2-z,-x'
  '1/2-y,-z,1/2+x'
  '-y,1/2+z,1/2-x'
  'y,z,x'
  'x,1/2-y,1/2+z'
  '1/2-x,1/2+y,z'
  '1/2+x,y,1/2-z'
  '-x,-y,-z'
  '1/2-z,-x,1/2+y'
  '-z,1/2+x,1/2-y'
  '1/2+z,1/2-x,-y'
  'z,x,y'
  '1/2-y,1/2+z,x'
  '1/2+y,z,1/2-x'
  'y,1/2-z,1/2+x'
  '-y,-z,-x'
  '-x,1/2+y,1/2-z'
  '1/2+x,1/2-y,-z'
  '1/2-x,-y,1/2+z'
loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
Na1   0.50000   0.50000   0.50000
K1   0.25000   0.25000   0.25000
Al1   0.00000   0.00000   0.00000
F1   0.22000   0.03000   0.01000

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
2.863 Å	(100)
2.024 Å	(100)
2.336 Å	(80)
1.428 Å	(60)
0.795 Å	(60)
0.905 Å	(50)
1.650 Å	(40)

Comments:

Pikes Peak, Colorado, USA. Data from Frondel (1948).

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Near-surface Processes
22 : Hydration and low-𝑇 subsurface aqueous alteration (see also #23)

Type Occurrence of ElpasoliteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ St Peters Dome, Cheyenne Mining District (St. Peters Dome Mining District), El Paso County, Colorado, USA

General Appearance of Type Material:

Compact irregular masses, colorless but not perfectly clear, with sparing traces of crystalline form. Rare small rounded crystal-like projections.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, numbers 162621, 83302.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

Lining solution cavities in pachnolite in a cryolite-bearing pegmatite.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Pachnolite

Other Language Names for ElpasoliteHide

German:Elpasolit

Russian:Эльпасолит

Spanish:Elpasolita

Relationship of Elpasolite to other SpeciesHide

Member of:

Cryolite Subgroup > Stoichiometric Perovskites Group > Perovskite Supergroup

Other Members of this group:

Cryolite	Na₂NaAlF₆	Mon. 2/m
Simmonsite	Na₂LiAlF₆	Mon.

Common AssociatesHide

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:

5 photos of Elpasolite associated with Amazonite	K(AlSi₃O₈)
5 photos of Elpasolite associated with Cryolite	Na₂NaAlF₆
3 photos of Elpasolite associated with Sulphur	S₈
3 photos of Elpasolite associated with Gypsum	CaSO₄ · 2H₂O
2 photos of Elpasolite associated with Fluorite	CaF₂
2 photos of Elpasolite associated with Weberite	Na₂Mg[AlF₆]F
2 photos of Elpasolite associated with Prosopite	CaAl₂F₄[(OH)_4-xF_x]
2 photos of Elpasolite associated with Gearksutite	Ca[Al(F,OH)₅(H₂O)]
1 photo of Elpasolite associated with Chiolite	Na₅Al₃F₁₄
1 photo of Elpasolite associated with Fluoro-arfvedsonite	[Na][Na₂][Fe²⁺₄Fe³⁺]Si₈O₂₂F₂

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

3.CB.05	Cryolithionite	Na₃Al₂(LiF₄)₃	Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Ia3d
3.CB.15	Cryolite	Na₂NaAlF₆	Mon. 2/m
3.CB.15	Simmonsite	Na₂LiAlF₆	Mon.
3.CB.20	Colquiriite	CaLi[AlF₆]	Trig.
3.CB.25	Weberite	Na₂Mg[AlF₆]F	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Immm
3.CB.25	Leonardsenite	MgAlF₅ · 2H₂O	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Imma
3.CB.30	Karasugite	SrCa[Al(F,OH)₇]	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
3.CB.35	Usovite	Ba₂CaMgAl₂F₁₄	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
3.CB.40	Pachnolite	NaCa[AlF₆] · H₂O	Mon. 2/m
3.CB.40	Thomsenolite	NaCa[AlF₆] · H₂O	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
3.CB.45	Carlhintzeite	Ca₂[AlF₆]F · H₂O	Tric.
3.CB.50	Yaroslavite	Ca₃Al₂F₁₀(OH)₂ · H₂O	Orth.
3.CB.55	Sbacchiite	Ca₂AlF₇	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
3.CB.60	Verneite	Na₂Ca₃Al₂F₁₄	Iso. 2 3 : I2₁ 3

Fluorescence of ElpasoliteHide

In UV light:

May fluoresce in SW medium blue with a violet tinge.

Other InformationHide

Health Risks:

No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for ElpasoliteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-1369.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

Look for Elpasolite on Webmineral

Look for Elpasolite on Wikipedia

Look for Elpasolite on Mineralien Atlas

Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

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References for ElpasoliteHide

Reference List:

Cross, W., Hillebrand, W.F. (1883) Mineralogy of the Rocky Mountains, II Minerals from the neighborhood of Pike’s Peak. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin: 20: 40-74.

Cross and Hillebrand (1883) On minerals of the cryolite group recently found in Colorado. American Journal of Science: 26: 271-294 (283).

Cross, E.B., Hillebrand, W.F. (1885) Minerals from the neighbourhood of Pikes Peak. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin: 20: 40-68 (57).

Menzer, G. (1932) Ueber die Kristallstrukturen der Kryolithgruppe. Forschritte der Mineralogie, Kristallographie und Petrographie, Jena: 17: 61-61.

Frondel, C. (1948) New data on elpasolite and hagemannite. American Mineralogist: 33: 84-87.

Palache, Charles, Berman, Harry, Frondel, Clifford (1951) The System of Mineralogy (7th ed.) Vol. 2 - Halides, Nitrates, Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates, Phosphates, Arsenates, Tungstates, Molybdates, Ect. John Wiley and Sons, New York.

Sabelli, C. (1987) Structure refinement of elpasolite from Cetine mine, Tuscany, Italy. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie - Monatshefte, 1987. 481-487

Baoldinozzi, G., Grebille, D., Sciau, P., Kiat, J.M., Moret, J., Bérar, J.F. (1998) Rietveld refinement of the incommensurate structure of the elpasolite (ordered perovskite) Pb2MgTeO6. Journal of Physics: 10: 6461-6472.

Pekov, I.V., Chukanov, N.V., Kononkova, N.N., Zubkova, N.V., Rabadanov, M.K., Pushcharovsky, D.Y. (2007) Elpasolite from Hyperagpaitic Pegmatite of Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula. On the Elpasolite Symmetry. Zapiski RMO: 6: 76-84. (in Russian)

Pekov, I.V., Chukanov, N.V., Kononkova, N.N., Zubkova, N.V., Rabadanov, M.K., Pushcharovsky, D.Y. (2008) Elpasolite from hyperalkaline pegmatite of the Khibiny pluton, Kola Peninsula. Symmetry of elpasolite. Geology of Ore Deposits: 50: 749-754.

Mitchell, Roger H., Welch, Mark D., Chakhmouradian, Anton R. (2017) Nomenclature of the perovskite supergroup: A hierarchical system of classification based on crystal structure and composition. Mineralogical Magazine, 81 (3) 411-461 doi:10.1180/minmag.2016.080.156

(2023) Elpasolite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for ElpasoliteHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the

symbol to view information about a locality. The

symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed.

- This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.

- Good crystals or important locality for species.

- World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.


Antarctica
Eastern Antarctica Victoria Land Ross Archipelago Ross Island ⓘ Mount Erebus ?	Kammerer (2011)

Czech Republic
Moravian-Silesian Region Ostrava-City District Ostrava Heřmanice ⓘ Heřmanice dump ?	Dalibor Matýsek

DR Congo
North Kivu Nyiragongo Territory ⓘ Nyiragongo Volcano	Bailey

Greenland
Sermersooq Arsuk Fjord Ivigtut stock ⓘ Ivigtut Mine	Petersen et al. (1993)

Italy
Campania Naples Somma-Vesuvius Complex ⓘ Mount Vesuvius	Balassone et al. (2019)
Tuscany Siena Province Chiusdino ⓘ Le Cetine di Cotorniano Mine	Sabelli C. (1987 ) +1 other reference

Russia
Chelyabinsk Oblast Ilmen Mountains ⓘ Pit No. 50 (Blyumovskaya Pit; Blum Pit)	Galina Gubko (2009)
ⓘ Pit No. 69 (G.I. Gasberg's Topaz-Cryolite Pit)	Polyakov (1985)
Murmansk Oblast Khibiny Massif Koashva Mt ⓘ Koashva Open Pit	Pekov et al. (2008)
Lovozersky District ⓘ Karnasurt Mountain	Pakhomovsky et al. (2014)
ⓘ Kedykverpakhk Mountain	Pekov et al. (2008)
Zabaykalsky Krai Kalarsky District ⓘ Katugin Ta-Nb deposit	Victor V. Sharygin analytycal data (2013) +2 other references

Ukraine
Zhytomyr Oblast Korosten Raion ⓘ Perzhanskoe ore field (Perga Be deposit)	Bailey +1 other reference
Zhytomyr Raion ⓘ Khoroshiv Raion (Volodarsk-Volynskii)	Bailey +2 other references

USA (TL)
Colorado El Paso County Cheyenne Mining District (St. Peters Dome Mining District) ⓘ St Peters Dome (TL)	Cross et al. (1883) +1 other reference
ⓘ Eureka Tunnel (1-15 pegmatite)	Gross et al. (1966)
Fremont County ⓘ Goldie carbonatite	Eckel et al. (1997)
Nevada Mineral County Fitting Mining District Gillis Range ⓘ Zapot pegmatite	Foord et al. (1999)
Texas Hudspeth County Sierra Blanca Peaks ⓘ Round Top prospects	O'Neill (2014)
Virginia Amelia County Winterham ⓘ Morefield Mine (Morefield pegmatite)	Kearns (1995) +1 other reference

Elpasolite

About ElpasoliteHide

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of ElpasoliteHide

Classification of ElpasoliteHide

Mineral SymbolsHide

Physical Properties of ElpasoliteHide

Chemistry of ElpasoliteHide

Crystallography of ElpasoliteHide

Crystal StructureHide

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Type Occurrence of ElpasoliteHide

Other Language Names for ElpasoliteHide

Relationship of Elpasolite to other SpeciesHide

Common AssociatesHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

Fluorescence of ElpasoliteHide

Other InformationHide

Internet Links for ElpasoliteHide

References for ElpasoliteHide

Localities for ElpasoliteHide

Locality ListHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide