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Swedenborgite

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Långban, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden
© Kjell Gatedal

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Formula:
NaBe
 
4
Sb
5+
 
O
 
7
System:HexagonalColour:Colourless, pale wine- ...
Hardness:8
Name:
Named after Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), Swedish scientist, philosopher, and religious writer.
This page provides mineralogical data about Swedenborgite.

Classification of Swedenborgite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:4/B.07-50
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:4.AC.05

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
A : Metal: Oxygen = 2:1 and 1:1
C : M:O = 1:1 (and up to 1:1.25); with large cations (+- smaller ones)
Dana 7th edition ID:44.2.2.0
Dana 8th edition ID:44.3.1.1

44 : ANTIMONATES
3 : Miscellaneous
Hey's CIM Ref.:24.2.1

24 : Antimonates and Antimonites
2 : Antimonates of Be, Mg, Ca, Zn or Hg
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Type Occurrence of Swedenborgite

Type Locality:Långban, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden
Place of Conservation of Type Material:Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden. The Natural History Museum, London, England: #1924,560.
Year of Discovery:1924
Geological Setting of type material:Skarn in a metamorphosed Fe-Mn ore body.
Associated Minerals at type locality:
RichteriteManganophylliteHematiteCalciteBromellite

Physical Properties of Swedenborgite

Lustre:Vitreous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent
Colour:Colourless, pale wine- to honey-yellow; colourless in transmitted light
Hardness (Mohs):8
Cleavage:Distinct/Good
On {0001}, distinct.
Fracture:Sub-Conchoidal
Density (measured):4.285 g/cm3
Density (calculated):4.28 g/cm3

Crystallography of Swedenborgite

Crystal System:Hexagonal
Class (H-M):6mm - Dihexagonal Pyramidal
Space Group:P63mc
Cell Parameters:a = 5.442Å, c = 8.848Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 1.626
Unit Cell Volume:V 226.93 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:2
Morphology:Crystals short prismatic {1010}, {1011}, and {0001} prominent. May be morphologically hemihedral with c and p unequally developed at opposite terminations of {0001} at times.
Twinning:Observed, not described.

Optical Data of Swedenborgite

Type:Uniaxial (-)
RI values: nω = 1.772 nε = 1.770
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.002

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

Chemical Properties of Swedenborgite

Formula:
NaBe
 
4
Sb
5+
 
O
 
7
Essential elements:Be, Na, O, Sb
All elements listed in formula:Be, Na, O, Sb

Relationship of Swedenborgite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
4.AC.10Brownmillerite
Ca
 
2
(Al,Fe
3+
 
)
 
2
O
 
5
4.AC.10Srebrodolskite
Ca
 
2
Fe
3+
2
O
 
5
4.AC.15Montroydite
HgO
4.AC.20Litharge
PbO
4.AC.20Romarchite
SnO
4.AC.25Massicot
PbO
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
24.2.2Byströmite
MgSb
 
2
O
 
6
24.2.3Roméite Group
24.2.4Ordoñezite
ZnSb
 
2
O
 
6
24.2.5Theisite
Cu
 
5
Zn
 
5
(AsO
 
4
,SbO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
14
24.2.6Shakhovite
(Hg
+
2
)Hg
2+
2
(Sb
3+
 
O
 
3
)(OH)
 
3

Other Names for Swedenborgite

Other Languages:
German:Swedenborgit
Russian:Сведенборгит
Spanish:Swedenborgita

Other Information

Other Information:Insoluble in acids. Decomposed by fusion with Na2CO3 or KHSO4.
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 Swedenborgite

Reference List:

- +
Aminoff (1924) Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 60: 262.

Gossner (1925) Centralblatt für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paleontologie, Stuttgart: 289 (morphological resemblance to corundum).

Aminoff (1933) Svenska Vetenskapsakademien, Stockholm, Handlingar: [3]: 11, no. 4: 3.

Pauling, L., H.P. Klug, and A.N. Winchell (1935) The crystal structure of swedenborgite, NaBe4SbO7. American Mineralogist: 20: 492–501.

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. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged, 1124 pp.: 1027-1029.

Welin, E. (1968) X-ray powder data for inerals from Långban and the related mineral deposits of Central Sweden. Arkiv Mineral. Geol., 4(30), 499–541.

Internet Links for Swedenborgite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Swedenborgite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    • Localities for Swedenborgite

    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.
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    (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.
    Sweden
     
    • Värmland
      • Filipstad
    		Zeits. Krist. Min. (1924): 60, 262; 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: 1028; Nysten, P., Holtstam, D. and Jonsson, E. (1999) The Långban minerals. In Långban - The mines,their minerals, geology and explorers (D. Holtstam and J. Langhof, eds.), Swedish Museum of Natural History and Raster Förlag, Stockholm & Chr. Weise Verlag, Munich, pp. 89-183.
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