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Lonsdaleite

Formula:
C
System:HexagonalColour:Transparent ...
Hardness:7 - 8
Name:For Kathleen Lonsdale (1903-1971), British crystallographer
Polymorph of:Chaoite, Diamond, Graphite


An allotrope of carbon based on a hexagonal lattice.

Classification of Lonsdaleite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:1/B.02-50
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:1.CB.10b

1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
C : Metalloids and Nonmetals
B : Carbon-silicon family
Dana 7th edition ID:1.3.5.3
Dana 8th edition ID:1.3.6.3

1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
3 : Semi-metals and non-metals
Hey's CIM Ref.:1.27

1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)
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Type Occurrence of Lonsdaleite

Type Locality:Canyon Diablo meteorite, Meteor Crater and vicinity, Winslow, Coconino Co., Arizona, USA
Year of Discovery:1967
Geological Setting of type material:Meteorite

Occurrences of Lonsdaleite

Geological Setting:In meteorites and kimberlite.

Physical Properties of Lonsdaleite

Lustre:Adamantine
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent
Colour:Transparent brownish-yellow, grayish
Hardness (Mohs):7 - 8
Hardness Data:Measured
Comment:imperfections in natural Lonsdaleite reduce hardness, artificial material has tested harder than diamond (>10) , See Physical Review letters (2009)
Density (measured):3.2 g/cm3
Density (calculated):3.51 g/cm3

Crystallography of Lonsdaleite

Crystal System:Hexagonal
Class (H-M):6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) - Dihexagonal Dipyramidal
Space Group:P63/mmc {P63/m 2/m 2/c}
Cell Parameters:a = 2.51Å, c = 4.12Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 1.641
Unit Cell Volume:V 22.48 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Fine grained aggregates

Optical Data of Lonsdaleite

Type:Uniaxial (+/-)
RI values: nα = 2.404 nβ = 2.404
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 2.404

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Very High

Chemical Properties of Lonsdaleite

Formula:
C
Essential elements:C
All elements listed in formula:C

Relationship of Lonsdaleite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
1.CB.05bChaoite
C
1.CB.05aGraphite
C
1.CB.05cFullerite
C
 
60
1.CB.10aDiamond
C
1.CB.15Silicon
Si
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
1.1Copper
Cu
1.2Silver
Ag
1.5Gold
Au
1.6Auricupride
Cu
 
3
Au
1.7Tetra-auricupride
AuCu
1.8Zinc
Zn
1.9Cadmium
Cd
1.10Danbaite
CuZn
 
2
1.11Zhanghengite
CuZn
1.12Mercury
Hg
1.13Kolymite
Cu
 
7
Hg
 
6
1.14Moschellandsbergite
Ag
 
2
Hg
 
3
1.15Eugenite
Ag
 
11
Hg
 
2
1.16Schachnerite
Ag
 
1.1
Hg
 
0.9
1.17Paraschachnerite
Ag
 
3
Hg
 
2
1.18Luanheite
Ag
 
3
Hg
1.19Weishanite
(Au,Ag)
 
3
Hg
 
2
1.20Indium
In
1.21Aluminium
Al
1.22Khatyrkite
(Cu,Zn)Al
 
2
1.23Cupalite
(Cu,Zn)Al
1.24Diamond
C
1.25Graphite
C
1.26Chaoite
C
1.28Silicon
Si
1.29Tin
Sn
1.30Lead
Pb
1.31Anyuiite
Au(Pb,Sb)
 
2
1.31Novodneprite
AuPb
 
3
1.32Leadamalgam
HgPb
 
2
1.33Arsenic
As
1.34Arsenolamprite
As
1.35Paxite
CuAs
 
2
1.36Koutekite
Cu
 
5
As
 
2
1.37Domeykite
Cu
 
3
As
1.38Algodonite
(Cu
 
1-x
As
 
x
)
1.39Novakite
Cu
 
20
AgAs
 
10
1.40Kutinaite
Cu
 
2
AgAs
1.41Antimony
Sb
1.42Stibarsen
AsSb
1.43Paradocrasite
Sb
 
3
As
1.44Horsfordite
1.45Cuprostibite
Cu
 
2
(Sb,Tl)
1.46Allargentum
(Ag
 
1-x
Sb
 
x
)
1.47Aurostibite
AuSb
 
2
1.48Dyscrasite
Ag
 
3
Sb
1.49Bismuth
Bi
1.50Maldonite
Au
 
2
Bi
1.51Sulphur
S
 
8
1.52Rosickýite
S
1.53Selenium
Se
1.54Tellurium
Te
1.55Chromium
Cr
1.56Rhenium
Re
1.57Iron
Fe
1.58Chromferide
Fe
 
3
Cr
 
1-x
 (x=0.6)
1.59Ferchromide
Cr
 
1.5
Fe
 
0.5-x
1.60Wairauite
CoFe
1.61Nickel
Ni
1.62Kamacite
(Fe,Ni)
1.63Taenite
(Fe,Ni)
1.64Tetrataenite
FeNi
1.65Awaruite
Ni
 
3
Fe
1.66Palladium
(Pd,Pt)
1.67Potarite
PdHg
1.68Paolovite
Pd
 
2
Sn
1.69Stannopalladinite
(Pd,Cu)
 
3
Sn
 
2
1.70Cabriite
Pd
 
2
SnCu
1.71Taimyrite
(Pd,Cu,Pt)
 
3
Sn
1.72Atokite
(Pd,Pt)
 
3
Sn
1.73Rustenburgite
(Pt,Pd)
 
3
Sn
1.74Zvyagintsevite
(Pd,Pt,Au)
 
3
(Pb,Sn)
1.75Plumbopalladinite
Pd
 
3
Pb
 
2
1.76Osmium
(Os,Ir,Ru)
1.77Iridium
(Ir,Os,Ru)
1.82Platinum
Pt
1.83Hongshiite
PtCu
1.84Niggliite
PtSn
1.85Isoferroplatinum
Pt
 
3
Fe
1.86Tetraferroplatinum
PtFe
1.87Tulameenite
Pt
 
2
CuFe
1.88Ferronickelplatinum
Pt
 
2
FeNi
1.89Rhodium
(Rh,Pt)
Related Minerals - Dana Grouping):

- +
1.3.5.1Diamond
C
1.3.5.2Graphite
C
1.3.5.4Chaoite
C
1.3.5.5Fullerite
C
 
60

Other Names for Lonsdaleite

Synonyms:
IMA1966-044
Other Languages:
German:Lonsdaleit
Russian:Лонсдейлит
Spanish:Lonsdaleita

Other Information

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

References for Lonsdaleite

Reference List:American Mineralogist (1967): 52: 1579.
Physical Review letters (2009) 102, 055503 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.055503

Journal of Chemical Physics: 46: 3437-3446.

Internet Links for Lonsdaleite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Search for Lonsdaleite in the Natural History Museum (London) online catalogue
  • Lonsdaleite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    Localities for Lonsdaleite

    Hide Locality List
    The 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.
    (TL) indicates type locality. ? indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. All other localities listed without reference should be considered as uncertain and unproven until references can be found.
    Antarctica
     
    • Eastern Antarctica
      • Victoria Land
        • Allan Hills
    		Nature 291:396-398 (1981)
    China
     
    • Liaoning Province (Manchuria; Dongbei Region)
      • Dalian Prefecture
        • Wafangdian Co.
          • Fuxian Kimberlite field
    		I. Leung and R. Winston, Eos. Trans. AGU, 83(47), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract #####-##, 2002, MR61A-1028 0830h POSTER
    USA
     
    • Arizona
      • Coconino Co.
        • Winslow
          • Meteor Crater and vicinity
    		Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 203, 280; Frondel, C. & U.B. Marvin (1967a), Lonsdaleite, a new hexagonal polymorph of diamond. Nature: 214: 587-589; Frondel, C. & U.B. Marvin (1967b), Lonsdaleite, a hexagonal polymorph of diamond, Am.Min.: 52: 1576.
    • New Mexico
      • Roosevelt Co.
    		Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 40, Dec. 1976, p. 1429-1437.
    Mineral and/or Locality
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