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Khmaralite

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Zircon point pegmatite, Khmara Bay, Casey Bay, Napier Complex, Enderby Land, Eastern Antarctica, Antarctica
© Pavel M. Kartashov

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Formula:
(Mg,Al,Fe)
 
16
[(Al,Si,Be)
 
12
O
 
36
]O
 
4
System:MonoclinicColour:dark greenish blue
Lustre:VitreousHardness:7
Name:For the locality, which was named in honor of Ivan Fedorovich Khmara (1936-1956), a tractor driver who perished in Antarctica.
This page provides mineralogical data about Khmaralite.

Classification of Khmaralite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:8/F.15-15
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:9.DH.50

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
H : Inosilicates with 4-periodic single chains, Si4O12
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Type Occurrence of Khmaralite

Type Locality:Zircon point pegmatite, Khmara Bay, Casey Bay, Napier Complex, Enderby Land, Eastern Antarctica, Antarctica

Physical Properties of Khmaralite

Lustre:Vitreous
Colour:dark greenish blue
Streak:colourless
Hardness (Mohs):7

Crystallography of Khmaralite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:P21/b {P1 1 21/b} {P21/c} {P1 21/c 1} {P21/a}
Cell Parameters:a = 18.8Å, b = 14.371Å, c = 11.254Å
α = 90°, β = 125.53°, γ = 90°
Ratio:a:b:c = 1.308 : 1 : 0.783
Unit Cell Volume:V 2,474.43 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Comment:related to sapphirine-2M but with different cation ordering and doubled chain repeat

Optical Data of Khmaralite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.725 nβ = 1.740 nγ = 1.741
2V:Measured: 34° , Calculated: 28°
Birefringence:0.016
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.016

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:High
Dispersion:r > v strong
Comments:very like sapphirine

Chemical Properties of Khmaralite

Formula:
(Mg,Al,Fe)
 
16
[(Al,Si,Be)
 
12
O
 
36
]O
 
4
Essential elements:Al, Mg, O
All elements listed in formula:Al, Be, Fe, Mg, O, Si
Analytical Data:similar to sapphirine but with substantial and essential Be and much higher Si
Empirical Formula:
Mg
 
9.6
Fe
2+
1.6
Al
 
4.8
[Al
 
7.2
Si
 
3.6
Be
 
1.6
O
 
36
]O
 
4
Relationship of Khmaralite to other Species
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- + 
9.DH.05Leucophanite
NaCaBeSi
 
2
O
 
6
F
9.DH.10Ohmilite
Sr
 
3
(Ti,Fe
3+
 
)[(O,OH)|(Si
 
2
O
 
6
)
 
2
] · 2-3H
 
2
O
9.DH.15Haradaite
SrVSi
 
2
O
 
7
9.DH.15Suzukiite
BaVSi
 
2
O
 
7
9.DH.20Batisite
Na
 
2
BaTi
 
2
[O|Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
 
2
9.DH.20Shcherbakovite
Na(K,Ba)
 
2
(Ti,Nb)
 
2
[O|Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
 
2
9.DH.25Taikanite
Sr
 
3
BaMn
2+
2
[O|Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
 
2
9.DH.30Krauskopfite
BaSi
 
2
O
 
5
·3H
 
2
O
9.DH.35Balangeroite
(Mg,Fe,Fe,Mn)
 
42
Si
 
16
O
 
54
(OH)
 
40
9.DH.35Gageite
Mn
 
21
O
 
3
(Si
 
4
O
 
12
)
 
2
(OH)
 
20
9.DH.40Aenigmatite
Na
 
2
Fe
2+
5
TiO
 
2
(Si
 
6
O
 
18
)
9.DH.40Dorrite
Ca
 
2
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
Fe
3+
4
[O
 
2
|Al
 
4
Si
 
2
O
 
18
]
9.DH.40Høgtuvaite
(Ca,Na)
 
2
(Fe
2+
 
,Fe
3+
 
,Ti)
 
6
[O
 
2
|Be(Si,Al)
 
5
O
 
18
]
9.DH.40Krinovite
Na
 
2
Mg
 
4
Cr
3+
2
[O
 
2
|Si
 
6
O
 
18
]
9.DH.40Makarochkinite
Ca
 
2
Fe
2+
4
Fe
3+
 
Ti[O
 
2
|BeAlSi
 
4
O
 
18
]
9.DH.40Rhönite
Ca
 
2
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
,Fe
3+
 
,Ti)
 
6
[O
 
2
|(Si,Al)
 
6
O
 
18
]
9.DH.40Serendibite
(Ca,Na)
 
2
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
3
(Al,Fe
3+
 
)
 
3
[O
 
2
|(Si,Al,B)
 
6
O
 
18
]
9.DH.40Welshite
Ca
 
4
Mg
 
9
Sb
 
3
O
 
4
[Si
 
6
Be
 
3
AlFe
 
2
O
 
36
]
9.DH.40Wilkinsonite
Na
 
2
Fe
2+
4
Fe
3+
2
[O
 
2
|Si
 
6
O
 
18
]
9.DH.45Sapphirine
(Mg,Fe)
 
4-x
Al
 
4+x
[Al
 
4+x
Si
 
2-x
O
 
18
]O
 
2
9.DH.55Surinamite
(Mg,Fe)
 
3
Al
 
4
BeSi
 
3
O
 
16
9.DH.60Deerite
(Fe,Mn)
 
6
(Fe,Al)
 
3
Si
 
6
O
 
20
(OH)
 
5
9.DH.65Howieite
Na(Fe,Mn)
 
10
(Fe,Al)
 
2
Si
 
12
O
 
31
(OH)
 
13
9.DH.65Taneyamalite
(Na,Ca)(Mn,Mg,Fe)
 
12
Si
 
12
(O,OH)
 
44
9.DH.70Johninnesite
Na
 
2
Mn
2+
9
Mg
 
7
(OH)
 
8
[AsO
 
4
]
 
2
[Si
 
6
O
 
17
]
 
2
9.DH.75Agrellite
NaCa
 
2
[F|Si
 
4
O
 
10
]
Other Names for Khmaralite
Synonyms:
IMA1998-027
Other Languages:
German:Khmaralit
Russian:Хмаралит
Spanish:Khmaralita
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 Khmaralite
Reference List:Barbier, J., Grew, E.S., Moore, P.B., and Su, S.-C. (1999) Khmaralite, a new beryllium-bearing mineral related to sapphirine: A superstructure resulting from partial ordering of Be, Al and Si on tetrahedral sites. American Mineralogist: 84: 1650-1660.



Christy, A.G., Tabira, Y., Hölscher, A., Grew, E.S., and Schreyer, W. (2002) Synthesis of beryllian sapphirine in the system MgO-BeO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O and comparison with naturally occurring beryllian sapphirine and khmaralite. Part 1: Experiments, TEM and XRD. American Mineralogist: 87: 1104-1112.



Christy, A.G., and Grew, E.S. (2004) Synthesis of beryllian sapphirine in the system MgO-BeO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O and comparison with naturally occurring beryllian sapphirine and khmaralite, Part 2: a chemographic study of Be content as a function of P, T, assemblage and FeMg-1 exchange. American Mineralogist: 89: 327-338.




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    Localities for Khmaralite
    






    


    

    
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    The map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the  symbol to view information about a locality. 
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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.

    Antarctica
     
    

    • Eastern Antarctica
    

      • Enderby Land
    
    		http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2003AM/finalprogram/abstract_60995.
    




          • Casey Bay
    

            • Khmara Bay
    
    		Am. Mineral. (1999), 84, 1650-1660
    





Edward S. Grew Surinamite, taafeite and beryllian saphirine from pegmatites in graulite-facies rocks of Casey Bay, Enderby Land, Antarctica, - Am. Miner., 1981,v.66, p.1022-1033.
    

    


    

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