Thortveitite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Thortveitite
Gunder O. O. Thortveit
Formula:
Sc2Si2O7
Often contains Y (and minor HREE) replacing Sc.
Colour:
Greyish-green, black, grey, blue, yellow, brown
Lustre:
Vitreous, Dull
Hardness:
6 - 7
Specific Gravity:
3.27 - 3.58
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Member of:
Name:
Named in 1911 by Jakob Grubbe Cock Schetelig in honor of Gunder Olaus Olsen Thortveit [October 1, 1872 Thortveit, Iveland, Aust-Agder, Norway - June 15, 1917 in Rossås, Iveland, Aust-Agder, Norway], feldspar and mineral exporter from Iveland, Norway.
The mineral was first found in 1903 by the Norwegian geologist Per (Peder) Elisæus Schei (1875–1905) in Beryllbruddet (The Beryl Quarry)", Landsverk, Evje, Norway, but the sample was labelled by him as "epidote". Later, in 1910, Olaus Thortveit send some samples of the mineral from another locality, from a quarry at Ljosland, Iveland, Norway to Professor Schetelig who recognized it as a new mineral.
The mineral was first found in 1903 by the Norwegian geologist Per (Peder) Elisæus Schei (1875–1905) in Beryllbruddet (The Beryl Quarry)", Landsverk, Evje, Norway, but the sample was labelled by him as "epidote". Later, in 1910, Olaus Thortveit send some samples of the mineral from another locality, from a quarry at Ljosland, Iveland, Norway to Professor Schetelig who recognized it as a new mineral.
This page provides mineralogical data about Thortveitite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3950
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3950:1
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
3e76c4af-b5a6-47e2-a86a-9b39ae415f6d
IMA Classification of Thortveitite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
First published:
1911
Classification of Thortveitite
9.BC.05
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
B : Sorosilicates
C : Si2O7 groups, without non-tetrahedral anions; cations in octahedral [6] and greater coordination
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
B : Sorosilicates
C : Si2O7 groups, without non-tetrahedral anions; cations in octahedral [6] and greater coordination
55.2.1a.4
55 : SOROSILICATES Si2O7 Groups,Generally with no Additional Anions
2 : Si2O7 Groups, Generally with no Additional Anions with cations in [6] coordination
55 : SOROSILICATES Si2O7 Groups,Generally with no Additional Anions
2 : Si2O7 Groups, Generally with no Additional Anions with cations in [6] coordination
14.8.5
14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
8 : Silicates of Group III metals other than Al
14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
8 : Silicates of Group III metals other than Al
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Tvt | 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 Thortveitite
Vitreous, Dull
Transparency:
Translucent, Opaque
Colour:
Greyish-green, black, grey, blue, yellow, brown
Streak:
White
Hardness:
6 - 7 on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density:
3.27 - 3.58 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.32 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Thortveitite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.756 nβ = 1.793 nγ = 1.809
2V:
Measured: 65° , Calculated: 64°
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.053
Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
Very High
Dispersion:
distinct to strong
Optical Extinction:
X ∧ c = 5°.
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
X = deep green; Y = Z = brownish yellow in thick grains.
Comments:
Absorption: X >= Y = Z.
Chemistry of Thortveitite
Mindat Formula:
Sc2Si2O7
Often contains Y (and minor HREE) replacing Sc.
Often contains Y (and minor HREE) replacing Sc.
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
Zr,Hf,Al,Fe,Mn,Mg,Ca,Ce,TR
Chemical Analysis
Oxide wt%:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SiO2 | 45.79 % | 44.36 % | 37.59 % | 46.21 % | 44.60 % |
| MgO | 0.17 % | % | 0.26 % | % | 0.06 % |
| MnO | 0.53 % | 1.74 % | 0.67 % | % | 0.03 % |
| ThO2 | 0.09 % | % | % | % | % |
| Sc2O3 | 34.32 % | 46.76 % | 25.01 % | 48.94 % | 47.66 % |
| La2O3 etc. | 1.48 % | % | % | % | % |
| Y2O3 etc | 9.52 % | % | % | % | % |
| Fe2O3 | 2.95 % | 0.99 % | 2.06 % | 1.57 % | % |
| Al2O3 | 4.95 % | 0.04 % | 0.61 % | % | 0.81 % |
| TiO2 | 0.01 % | % | % | % | 0.30 % |
| U2O3 | 0.00 % | % | % | % | % |
| CaO | 0.24 % | 0.11 % | 0.19 % | % | 0.10 % |
| H2O | 0.07 % | % | % | % | % |
| Y2O3 | % | 1.78 % | 17.73 % | 1.94 % | % |
| SnO2 | % | 3.64 % | % | % | % |
| Dy2O3 | % | % | 1.38 % | 0.35 % | % |
| Er2O3 | % | % | 1.65 % | 0.33 % | % |
| Tm2O3 | % | % | 0.54 % | 0.07 % | % |
| Yb2O3 | % | % | 7.01 % | 0.74 % | % |
| Lu2O3 | % | % | 1.68 % | 0.23 % | % |
| HfO2 | % | % | 0.55 % | % | % |
| ZrO2 | % | % | 2.28 % | % | % |
| Ce2O3 | % | % | % | 0.26 % | % |
| Gd2O3 | % | % | % | 0.05 % | % |
| FeO | % | % | % | % | 1.48 % |
| Na2O | % | % | % | % | 0.03 % |
| K2O | % | % | % | % | 0.18 % |
| P2O5 | % | % | % | % | 0.03 % |
| Total: | 100.12 % | 99.42 % | 99.21 % | 100.69 % | 95.28 % |
Sample references:
Crystallography of Thortveitite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
B2/m
Setting:
C2/m
Cell Parameters:
a = 6.65 Å, b = 8.61 Å, c = 4.68 Å
β = 102.2°
β = 102.2°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.772 : 1 : 0.544
Unit Cell V:
261.91 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Twinning:
Common: twinning axis normal to (110), twinning plane (110).
Crystal Structure
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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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0001160 | Thortveitite | Bianchi R, Pilati T, Diella V, Gamaccioli C M, Mannucci G (1988) A re-examination of thortveitite Sample 1 from Iveland American Mineralogist 73 601-607 |  | 1988 | 0 | 293 | |
| 0001161 | Thortveitite | Bianchi R, Pilati T, Diella V, Gamaccioli C M, Mannucci G (1988) A re-examination of thortveitite Sample 2 from Setesdalen American Mineralogist 73 601-607 | | 1988 | 0 | 293 | |
| 0001162 | Thortveitite | Bianchi R, Pilati T, Diella V, Gamaccioli C M, Mannucci G (1988) A re-examination of thortveitite Sample 3 from Flat, Evje American Mineralogist 73 601-607 | | 1988 | 0 | 293 | |
| 0001163 | Thortveitite | Bianchi R, Pilati T, Diella V, Gamaccioli C M, Mannucci G (1988) A re-examination of thortveitite Sample 4 from Malagasy Republic American Mineralogist 73 601-607 | | 1988 | 0 | 293 | |
| 0018032 | Thortveitite | Zachariasen W (1930) The structure of thortveitite, Sc2 Si O7 _cod_database_code 1011147 Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 73 1-6 | 1930 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 3.14 Å | (100) |
| 2.965 Å | (65) |
| 5.18 Å | (60) |
| 2.596 Å | (50) |
| 3.18 Å | (45) |
| 2.627 Å | (30) |
| 2.200 Å | (25) |
Comments:
Tuftane, Norway.
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 1: Primary nebular phases | 4.567-4.561 |
| 3 : Solar nebular condensates (CAIs, AOAs, URIs) | >4.565 |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 34 : Complex granite pegmatites |
Type Occurrence of Thortveitite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Crystals to >25 cm long and 4 cm thick. In radial rosettes.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Mineralogical-Geological Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway, number 22340 and 20 other specimens (cotype).
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Granite pegmatite.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Reference:
Schetelig, J. (1911) Über Thortveitit, ein neues Mineral. Vorläufige Mitteilung. Centralblatt für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie: 721-726.
Other Language Names for Thortveitite
German:Thortveitit
Russian:Тортвейтит
Simplified Chinese:钪钇石
Spanish:Thortveitita
Traditional Chinese:鈧釔石
Varieties of Thortveitite
| Befanamite | A variety of thortveitite with a higher content of scandium and zirconium and a lower content of yttrium. First discovered in 1918, in the eluvials of the Befanamo pegmatite, Madagascar by the prospector J. B. Rasamoel. The sample was a 10 x 3 cm fragmen... |
Relationship of Thortveitite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of this group:
| Keiviite-(Y) | Y2Si2O7 | Mon. 2/m : B2/m |
| Keiviite-(Yb) | Yb2Si2O7 | Mon. 2/m : B2/m |
| Yttrialite-(Y) | (Y,Th)2Si2O7 | Mon. 2/m : P21/m |
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| 18 photos of Thortveitite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 9 photos of Thortveitite associated with Xenotime-(Y) | Y(PO4) |
| 9 photos of Thortveitite associated with Euxenite-(Y) | (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O6 |
| 7 photos of Thortveitite associated with Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| 5 photos of Thortveitite associated with Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| 5 photos of Thortveitite associated with Aeschynite-(Y) | (Y,Ln,Ca,Th)(Ti,Nb)2(O,OH)6 |
| 4 photos of Thortveitite associated with Fluorite | CaF2 |
| 4 photos of Thortveitite associated with Pyrite | FeS2 |
| 3 photos of Thortveitite associated with Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
| 3 photos of Thortveitite associated with Rock Crystal | SiO2 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 9.BC. | Kozłowskiite | Ca4Fe2+2Sn3(Si2O7)2(Si2O6OH)2 |
| 9.BC. | Anorthoyttrialite-(Y) | Y4(SiO4)(Si3O10) |
| 9.BC.05 | Gittinsite | CaZrSi2O7 |
| 9.BC.05 | Keiviite-(Y) | Y2Si2O7 |
| 9.BC.05 | Keiviite-(Yb) | Yb2Si2O7 |
| 9.BC.05 | Yttrialite-(Y) | (Y,Th)2Si2O7 |
| 9.BC.10 | Keldyshite | (Na,H)2ZrSi2O7 |
| 9.BC.10 | Khibinskite | K2ZrSi2O7 |
| 9.BC.10 | Parakeldyshite | Na2ZrSi2O7 |
| 9.BC.15 | Rankinite | Ca3Si2O7 |
| 9.BC.20 | Barysilite | Pb8Mn2+[Si2O7]3 |
| 9.BC.25 | Edgarbaileyite | [Hg2]2+3[Si2O7] |
| 9.BC.30 | Kristiansenite | Ca4Sc2Sn2(Si2O7)2(Si2O6OH)2 |
| 9.BC.30 | Silesiaite | Ca4Fe3+2Sn2(Si2O7)2(Si2O6OH)2 |
| 9.BC.35 | Percleveite-(Ce) | Ce2Si2O7 |
| 9.BC.35 | Percleveite-(La) | La2Si2O7 |
| 9.BC.40 | Scottyite | BaCu2Si2O7 |
Other Information
Notes:
Powdered material is partially decomposed by concentrated HCl, without gelatinization.
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 Thortveitite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3950.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
References for Thortveitite
Reference List:
Schetelig, Jakob (1911) Über Thortveitit, ein neues Mineral. Vorläufige Mitteilung. Centralblatt für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie, 1911. 721-726
Schetelig, Jakob (1922) Thortveitite. A silicate of scandium (Sc,Y)2Si207. Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift [Norwegian Journal of Geology], 6 (3-4) 233-244
Bianchi, Riccardo, Pilati, Tullio, Diella, Valeria, Gramacciou, Carlo Maria, Mannucci, Gregorio (1988) A re-examination of thortveitite. American Mineralogist, 73 (5-6) 601-607
Foord, E. E., Birmingham, S. D., Demartin, F., Pilati, T., Gramaccioli, C. M., Lichte, F. E. (1993) Thortveitite and associated Sc-bearing minerals from Ravalli County, Montana. The Canadian Mineralogist, 31 (2) 337-346 doi:10.3749/1499-1276-31.2.337
Kristiansen, Roy (1997) Thortveititt- et historisk tilbakeblikk og dagens status, in Kongsberg Mineralsymposium 1997. STEIN. Nordisk magasin for populær geologi, 24 (3) 111-115
Kristiansen, Roy (1997) Thortveititt Sc2Si2O7- et historisk tilbakeblikk og dagens status [Thortveitite Sc2Si2O7- a historical review and current status]. Norsk Bergverksmuseum Skrift, 12. 22-25
Localities for Thortveitite
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- 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).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Austria | |
| Putz (2007) |
Brazil | |
| Kristiansen (1997) | |
Canada | |
| Potter et al. (2005) |
China | |
| Liu et al. (2023) +2 other references |
| Sun et al. (2021) |
| Lee (1970) |
Czech Republic | |
| Výravský et al. (2017) |
Finland | |
| Ilkka Mikkola collection +1 other reference |
France | |
| Journet et al. (2016) |
| Spandler +1 other reference |
| Gatel et al. (2002) |
Germany | |
| T. Witzke & T. Giesler (2003) |
Italy | |
| • Barresi et al. (2005) |
| Bracco et al. (2006) |
| Guastoni A. +1 other reference |
| Gramaccioli et al. (2000) +3 other references |
| Marello et al. (2020) |
| Marello et al. (2020) | |
| Piccoli et al. (2007) |
| Grill (1935) |
| Cuchet et al. (2023) +2 other references |
| Cuchet et al. (2023) +1 other reference | |
| Orlandi et al. (2013) +1 other reference |
| Tanca et al. (2007) |
Japan | |
| Sakurai et al. (1962) |
| Masutomi Museum specimens (Kyoto) |
| Yamada et al. (1980) | |
Kazakhstan | |
| geo.web.ru (2007) |
| A.V. Stepanov data |
Madagascar | |
| [var: Befanamite] Lacroix (1922) +1 other reference |
| Guigues (1955) +1 other reference |
| Guigues (1955) | |
| Ferraris et al. (2020) |
| [var: Befanamite] Behier (1960) |
| [var: Befanamite] Behier (1960) |
Norway | |
| Neumann (1961) +1 other reference |
| Bjørlykke (1934) |
| Schetelig (1922) +1 other reference | |
| Frigstad (1968) | |
| Schetelig (1922) | |
| Bianchi et al. (1988) +1 other reference | |
| Pedersen (2007) |
| Schetelig (1922) +1 other reference | |
| Neumann et al. (1960) |
| Nordrum (2004) | |
| Bjørlykke (1934) |
| Bjørlykke (1934) |
| Knut Eldjarn Collection | |
| Nordrum (2005) | |
| [Ronald Werner] +1 other reference | |
| Schetelig (1922) |
| Bjørlykke (1934) | |
| Rudy Bolona photo and specimen | |
| Corneliussen (2012) | |
| Bjørlykke (1934) | |
| Husdal (2021) |
| Knut Edvard Larsen collection & Roy ... +2 other references |
| Steffenssen (2018) |
| Amli (1977) |
| Mathiesen (1969) |
| Svein (1988) +1 other reference | |
Poland | |
| Evans et al. (2018) |
| Chabros E. |
Russia | |
| Egorov et al (1993) |
| Kainov (1973) |
| Voloshin et al (1991) |
| Kompanchenko et al. (2018) +1 other reference |
Saudi Arabia | |
| Gahlan et al. (2021) |
Sweden | |
| Langhof (1996) |
| Langhof (1996) |
| Langhof (1996) |
| Kjellman (analyst) +1 other reference |
Switzerland | |
| Cuchet et al. (2014) |
USA | |
| Parker & Havens (1963) +1 other reference |
| Foord et al. (1993) +1 other reference |
| Dunn (1995) |
| Dunn et al. (1990) +1 other reference |
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Knipan, Ljosland, Iveland, Agder, Norway