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Albite

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Perry Petalite prospect, Peru, Oxford Co., Maine, USA
© Dick Dionne

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Formula:
Na[AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
]
System:TriclinicColour:White, bluish, grey, ...
Lustre:VitreousHardness:6 - 6½
Name:From Latin, albus, white, alluding to its usual color.


Feldspar Group.

Na-rich end member of the Albite-Anorthite Series.

Low- and high-temperature structural modifications exist.

Classification of Albite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:8/J.07-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:9.FA.35

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
F : Tektosilicates without zeolitic H2O
A : Tektosilicates without additional non-tetrahedral anions
Dana 7th edition ID:76.1.3.1
Dana 8th edition ID:76.1.3.1

76 : TECTOSILICATES Al-Si Framework
1 : Al-Si Framework with Al-Si frameworks
Hey's CIM Ref.:16.2.1

16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
2 : Aluminosilicates of Na
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Type Occurrence of Albite

Type Locality:Finnbo (Finbo), Falun, Dalarna, Sweden
Year of Discovery:1815

Occurrences of Albite

Geological Setting:Major constituent of igneous rocks, hydrothermal and alpine veins. Product of sodium metasomatism.

Physical Properties of Albite

Lustre:Vitreous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Comment:Pearly on cleavages
Colour:White, bluish, grey, pink, etc.
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):6 - 6½
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Perfect
on [001], good on [010], imperfect on {110}
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density (measured):2.6 - 2.65 g/cm3
Density (calculated):2.615(6) g/cm3

Crystallography of Albite

Crystal System:Triclinic
Class (H-M):1 - Pinacoidal
Cell Parameters:a = 8.16Å, b = 12.87Å, c = 7.11Å
α = 93.45°, β = 116.4°, γ = 90.28°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.634 : 1 : 0.552
Unit Cell Volume:V 667.19 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Tabular
Twinning:Polysynthetic, many twin laws.
Comment:High and low forms
Crystal Atlas:
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Albite no.78 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Albite no.80 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Albite no.256 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Albite no.267 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Albite no.309 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Albite - {110}, {010}, {1-11}, modified

About Crystal Atlas

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Structure
  Reference
Gualtieri A F (2000) Accuracy of XRPD QPA using the combined Rietveld-RIR method Locality: Baveno, Novara, Italy. Journal of Applied Crystallography 33:267-278.

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More Crystal Structures
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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Albite

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.528 - 1.533 nβ = 1.532 - 1.537 nγ = 1.538 - 1.542
2V:Measured: 45° , Calculated: 76° to 82°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.010

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Low
Dispersion:r < v weak
Comments:Biaxial - for high variety.

Chemical Properties of Albite

Formula:
Na[AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
]
Essential elements:Al, Na, O, Si
All elements listed in formula:Al, Na, O, Si
Common Impurities:Ca,K,Mg

Relationship of Albite to other Species

Series:Forms a series with Anorthite (see here)
Member of Group:
Feldspar Group:
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
9.FA.05Kaliophilite
K[AlSiO
 
4
]
9.FA.05Kalsilite
K[AlSiO
 
4
]
9.FA.05Nepheline
(Na,K)[AlSiO
 
4
]
9.FA.05Panunzite
(Na,K)[AlSiO
 
4
]
9.FA.05Trikalsilite
(Na,K)[AlSiO
 
4
]
9.FA.05Yoshiokaite
(Ca,Na)[Al(Al,Si)O
 
4
]
9.FA.05Megakalsilite
KAlSiO
 
4
9.FA.10Malinkoite
NaBSiO
 
4
9.FA.15Virgilite
LiAlSi
 
2
O
 
6
9.FA.25Lisitsynite
KBSi
 
2
O
 
6
9.FA.30Adularia
KAlSi
 
3
O
 
8
9.FA.30Anorthoclase
(Na,K)[AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
]
9.FA.30Buddingtonite
(NH
 
4
)[AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
]
9.FA.30Celsian
Ba[Al
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
9.FA.30Hyalophane
(K,Ba)[Al(Si,Al)Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
9.FA.30Microcline
K[AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
]
9.FA.30Orthoclase
K[AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
]
9.FA.30Sanidine
K[AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
]
9.FA.30Rubicline
(Rb,K)[AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
]
9.FA.30Monalbite
Na[AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
]
9.FA.35Andesine
(Na,Ca)[Al(Si,Al)Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
9.FA.35Anorthite
Ca[Al
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
9.FA.35Bytownite
(Ca,Na)[Al(Al,Si)Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
9.FA.35Labradorite
(Ca,Na)[Al(Al,Si)Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
9.FA.35Oligoclase
(Na,Ca)[Al(Si,Al)Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
9.FA.35Reedmergnerite
Na[BSi
 
3
O
 
8
]
9.FA.40Paracelsian
Ba[Al
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
9.FA.45Svyatoslavite
Ca[Al
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
9.FA.45Kumdykolite
NaAlSi
 
3
O
 
8
9.FA.50Slawsonite
(Sr,Ca)[Al
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
9.FA.55Lisetite
CaNa
 
2
Al
 
4
Si
 
4
O
 
16
9.FA.60Banalsite
BaNa
 
2
[Al
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
 
2
9.FA.60Stronalsite
SrNa
 
2
[Al
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
8
]
 
2
9.FA.65Danburite
CaB
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
8
9.FA.65Maleevite
BaB
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
8
9.FA.65Pekovite
SrB
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
8
9.FA.70Lingunite
(Na,Ca)AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
9.FA.75Kokchetavite
KAlSi
 
3
O
 
8
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
16.2.2Analcime
Na
 
2
[Al
 
2
Si
 
4
O
 
12
] · 2H
 
2
O
16.2.3Ussingite
Na
 
2
AlSi
 
3
O
 
8
OH
16.2.4Paragonite
NaAl
 
2
[(OH)
 
2
|AlSi
 
3
O
 
10
]
16.2.5Natrolite
Na
 
2
[Al
 
2
Si
 
3
O
 
10
] · 2H
 
2
O
16.2.6Tetranatrolite
16.2.7Paranatrolite
Na
 
2
Al
 
2
Si
 
3
O
 
10
·3H
 
2
O
16.2.8Ephesite
NaLiAl
 
2
[(OH)
 
2
|Al
 
2
Si
 
2
O
 
10
]
16.2.9Rectorite
(Na,Ca)Al
 
4
(Si,Al)
 
8
O
 
20
(OH)
 
4
·2H
 
2
O
16.2.10Jadeite
Na(Al,Fe
3+
 
)[Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
16.2.11Brammallite
Na
 
0.65
Al
 
2.0
ٱAl
 
0.65
Si
 
3.35
O
 
10
(OH)
 
2

Other Names for Albite

Synonyms:
Acid plagioclaseAnalbite (of Alling)CryptoclaseCryptoseHyposclerite
KieselspathNatro-FeldspatOlafiteSodaclaseSoda Feldspar
TetartineWhite FeldsparWhite SchorlZygadite
Other Languages:
Bosnian (Latin Script):Albit
Croatian:Albit
Czech:Albit
Dutch:Albiet
Esperanto:Albito
Estonian:Albiit
Finnish:Albiitti
French:Albite
German:Albit
Hyposclerit
Olafit
Zygadit
Hebrew:אלביט
Hungarian:Albit
Italian:Albite
Japanese:曹長石
Latvian:Albīts
Lithuanian:Albitas
Norwegian (Bokmål):Albitt
Polish:Albit
Portuguese:Albita
Russian:Альбит
Serbian (Cyrillic Script):Албит
Simplified Chinese:钠长石
Slovak:Albit
Slovenian:Albit
Spanish:Albita
Hyposclerita
Olafita
Zygadita
Swedish:Albit
Turkish:Albit
Ukrainian:Альбіт
Varieties:
Albite MoonstoneAndesineCleavelanditeHigh AlbiteLazur-Feldspath
Low AlbiteOligoclaseOligoclase-AlbiteOregon SunstonePericline
PeristeriteSunstone

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 Albite

Reference List:Rose. G. (1823): Über den Feldspat, Albit, Labradorit und Anorthit, Annalen der Physik und Chemie, Vol. 73/NF-43, 175-208.

Schaller, Waldemar Theodore (1911), Krystallographische Notizen ueber Albit, Phenakit, und Neptunit: Zeitschr. Kristallographie, Band 48: 550-558; …USGS Bull. 490: 53-56 (1911).

MacKenzie, W.S. (1957) The crystalline modifications of NaAlSi3O8 American Journal of Science: 255: 481-516.

Ferguson, R.B., R.J. Trail & W.H. Taylor (1958), The crystal structure of low-temperature and high-temperature albites: Acta Crystallographica: 11: 331-348.

Smith, J.V. and MacKenzie, W.S. (1958) Alkali feldspars. IV. The cooling history of high-temperature sodium-rich feldspars. American Mineralogist: 43: 872-889.

Williams, P.P. and Megaw, H.D. (1964) The crystal structure of low and high albites at -180°C. Acta Crystallographica: 17: 882-890.

Crawford, W.A. (1966), Optical properties of metamorphic albite: American Mineralogist: 51: 523-524.

Martin, R.F. (1969) The hydrothermal synthesis of low albite. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology: 23: 323-339.

MacKenzie, W.S. and J. Zussman, Eds., The Feldspars (1974). Manchester University Press, U.K.

Moore, D. E. & J.G. Liou (1979), Chessboard-twinned albite from Franciscan metaconglomerates of the Diablo Range, California: American Mineralogist: 64: 329-336.

Sebastian, A. and Lagache, M. (1990) Experimental study of the equilibrium between pollucite, albite, and hydrothermal fluid in pegamtite systems. Mineralogical Magazine: 54: 447-454.

Knoche, R., Dingwell, D.B., and Webb, S.L. (1992a) Non-linear temperature dependence of liquid volumes in the system albite-anorthite-diopside. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology: 111: 61-73.

Anthony, J.W., Bideaux, R.A., Bladh, K.W., and Nichols, M.C. (1995) Handbook of Mineralogy, Volume II. Silica, Silicates. Mineral Data Publishing, Tucson, AZ, 904pp., 2 sub-volumes: 13.

Benusa, M.T., R.J. Angel & N.L. Ross (2005), Compression of albite, NaAlSi3O8: American Mineralogist: 90: 1115-1120.

Internet Links for Albite

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

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