Mindat Logo
Home Page Log In Message Board The Mindat Directory
Register Search Pages Chat Now! (2 online) Mindat Auctions

Gaylussite

Big Photo

Lake Amboseli, Rift Valley Province, Kenya
© 2008, JGW

Show Gaylussite Photos (8)
Formula:
Na
 
2
Ca(CO
 
3
)
 
2
·5H
 
2
O
System:MonoclinicColour:Colourless, yellowish, ...
Hardness:2½
Name:
For French chemist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac (1778-1850).
This page provides mineralogical data about Gaylussite.

Classification of Gaylussite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:5/D.02-60
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:5.CB.35

5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
C : Carbonates without additional anions, with H2O
B : With large cations (alkali and alkali-earth carbonates)
Dana 8th edition ID:15.2.2.1

15 : HYDRATED NORMAL CARBONATES
2 : AmBn(XO3)p·xH2O, with (m+n):p > 1:1
Hey's CIM Ref.:11.1.14

11 : Carbonates
1 : Carbonates of the alkali metals and ammonium
mindat.org URL:http://www.mindat.org/min-1662.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

Type Occurrence of Gaylussite

Type Locality:Lagunilla, Mérida, Venezuela
Year of Discovery:1826
Geological Setting of type material:Lacustrine clay sediments in an alkali lake.

Occurrences of Gaylussite

Geological Setting:Soda lakes.

Physical Properties of Gaylussite

Lustre:Vitreous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:Colourless, yellowish, greyish, white; colourless in transmitted light.
Streak:Uncoloured to greyish white
Hardness (Mohs):2½
Tenacity:Very brittle
Cleavage:Perfect
On {110} perfect; {001} rather difficult.
Fracture:Conchoidal
Density (measured):1.991 g/cm3
Density (calculated):1.991 g/cm3

Crystallography of Gaylussite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:B2/b {B1 1 2/b} {C2/c} {C1 2/c 1}
Space Group Setting:C2/c
Cell Parameters:a = 11.589Å, b = 7.780Å, c = 11.207Å
β = 102.5°
Ratio:a:b:c = 1.49 : 1 : 1.44
Unit Cell Volume:V 986.50 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Crystals frequently elongated [100]; also flattened, wedge-shaped, with dominant {110}, and {011}. Surfaces commonly rough, with {011} striated {111}.
Crystal Atlas:
Image Loading
Click on an icon to view
Gaylussite no.8 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Gaylussite no.13 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

About Crystal Atlas

You may need to scroll this box using your mouse to view the full instructions.

The mindat.org Crystal Atlas allows you to view a selection of crystal drawings of real and idealised crystal forms for this mineral and, in certain cases, 3d rotating crystal objects. You need Java to see these. You can download Java for free - click here to download Java

The 3d models and java code are kindly provided by www.smorf.nl. You can control the movement of the models by holding down the left mouse-button over the 3d model and moving your mouse. Keyboard controls are:

: default positions
t/T: decrease/increase transparency x/X: next/previous texture
b/B: next/previous background w: toggle wireframe
s: toggle sticks m: toggle miller indices
k: toggle crystallographic axes =/-: zoom in/out
r: stop/start rotation 1/2/3
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

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 Gaylussite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.444 nβ = 1.516 nγ = 1.523
2V:Measured: 34° , Calculated: 34°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.079

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Low
Dispersion:relatively strong r < v

Chemical Properties of Gaylussite

Formula:
Na
 
2
Ca(CO
 
3
)
 
2
·5H
 
2
O
Essential elements:C, Ca, H, Na, O
All elements listed in formula:C, Ca, H, Na, O

Relationship of Gaylussite to other Species

Common Associates:
TronaThermonatritePirssoniteNatronCalcite
Borax
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
5.CB.05Thermonatrite
Na
 
2
CO
 
3
·H
 
2
O
5.CB.10Natron
Na
 
2
CO
 
3
·10H
 
2
O
5.CB.15Trona
Na
 
3
H(CO
 
3
)
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
5.CB.20Monohydrocalcite
CaCO
 
3
·H
 
2
O
5.CB.25Ikaite
CaCO
 
3
·6H
 
2
O
5.CB.30Pirssonite
Na
 
2
Ca(CO
 
3
)
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
5.CB.40Chalconatronite
Na
 
2
Cu(CO
 
3
)
 
2
·3H
 
2
O
5.CB.45Baylissite
K
 
2
Mg(CO
 
3
)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
5.CB.50Tuliokite
Na
 
6
BaTh(CO
 
3
)
 
6
·6H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
11.1.1Zabuyelite
Li
 
2
CO
 
3
11.1.2Natrite
Na
 
2
CO
 
3
11.1.3Nahcolite
NaHCO
 
3
11.1.4Wegscheiderite
Na
 
5
H
 
3
(CO
 
3
)
 
4
11.1.5Thermonatrite
Na
 
2
CO
 
3
·H
 
2
O
11.1.6Trona
Na
 
3
H(CO
 
3
)
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
11.1.7Natron
Na
 
2
CO
 
3
·10H
 
2
O
11.1.8Kalicinite
KHCO
 
3
11.1.9Shortite
Na
 
2
Ca
 
2
(CO
 
3
)
 
3
11.1.10Nyerereite
Na
 
2
Ca(CO
 
3
)
 
2
11.1.11Natrofairchildite
11.1.12Zemkorite
Na
 
2
Ca(CO
 
3
)
 
2
11.1.13Pirssonite
Na
 
2
Ca(CO
 
3
)
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
11.1.15Baylissite
K
 
2
Mg(CO
 
3
)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
11.1.16Fairchildite
K
 
2
Ca(CO
 
3
)
 
2
11.1.17Bütschliite
K
 
2
Ca(CO
 
3
)
 
2
11.1.18Teschemacherite
(NH
 
4
)HCO
 
3

Other Names for Gaylussite

Synonyms:
GaylussaciteGay-Lussite
Other Languages:
German:Gaylussacit
Gaylussit
Natrocalcit
Latin:Natrium-calciumcarbonat-Pentahydrat
Russian:Гейлюссит
Spanish:Gaylussacita
Gaylussita

Other Information

Other Information:Effloresces slowly in dry air. Soluble in acids with effervescence. Slightly soluble in water. Dehydrated powder decomposed by water into sodium carbonate solution and calcium carbonate residue. Alters readily to calcite.
Special Storage/
Display Requirements:		Dehydrates with efforvescence in dry air.
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 Gaylussite

Reference List:Boussingault (1826) Annales de chimie et de physique, Paris: 31: 270 (as Gay-Lussite).

Phillips (1827) Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: 1: 263.

Glocker, E.F. (1839) Handbuch der Mineralogie, 2nd. edition, Nürnberg: 673 (as Natrocalcit).

Hartmann (1843) Minéralogie: 2: 271.

Des Cloizeaux (1858) Annales des mines: 14: 400.

Arzruni (1881) Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 6: 30.

Dana, E.S. (1892) System of Mineralogy, 6th. Edition, New York: 301.

de Schulten (1896) Comptes rendu de l’Académie des sciences de Paris: 123: 1023.

Pratt, Joseph Hyde (1896), On northupite; pirssonite, a new mineral; Gaylussite and hanksite from Borax Lake, San Bernardino County, California: Am. Jour. Sci., 4th. series: 2: 123-135; …Zeitschr. Kristallographie, Band 27: 416-429 (1896); …(abstract): Neues Jahrb., Band 2: 451-455 (1897).

Bütschli (1907) Journal für praktische Chemie, Leipzig: 75: 556.

Hintze, Carl (1916) Handbuch der Mineralogie. Berlin and Leipzig. 6 volumes: 1 [3A]: 2796.

Goldschmidt, V. (1918) Atlas der Krystallformen. 9 volumes, atlas, and text, vol. 4: 29.

Niinomy (1930) Economic Geology: 25: 758.

Murdoch, Joseph (1951), Notes on California minerals: nuevite = samarskite; trona, and hanksite; Gaylussite: Am. Min.: 36: 358-361.

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: Halides, Nitrates, Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates, Phosphates, Arsenates, Tungstates, Molybdates, Etc. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 234-235.

Fang, J.H., P.D. Robinson, J.F. Cerven & L.A. Wolf (1967), Computer program for refining cell parameters from Wiessenberg photographs and its application to indexing the powder pattern of Gaylussite: Am. Min.: 52: 1570-1572.

Monroe, E.A. (1967), Unit cell and space group of Gaylussite, CaCO3•Na2CO3•5H2O: Zeits. Krist: 124: 459.

Internet Links for Gaylussite

Search Engines:
  • Look for Gaylussite on Google
  • Look for Gaylussite images on Google
    • External Links:
  • Look for Gaylussite on Webmineral
  • Look for Gaylussite on Athena Mineralogy
  • Look for Gaylussite on Wikipedia
  • Look for Gaylussite on Mineralien Atlas
  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Search for Gaylussite in the Natural History Museum (London) online catalogue
  • Gaylussite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
    • Mineral Dealers:
  • Rare and Unusual minerals at Mineralogical Research Company
  • DAKOTA MATRIX offers Cabinet and Rare Species from Worldwide Localities.
  • Wilensky Fine Minerals
  • Lapis Mineral Magazin
  • Find Gaylussite on www.crystalclassics.co.uk
  • rare and unusual minerals mainly crystallized
  • High-end worldwide specimens & outstanding customer service
  • Buy from David K Joyce minerals
  • Wright's Rock Shop - excellent mineral specimens since 1970
  • Top quality minerals from Kristalle of California
  • Search for - Gaylussite - on e-Rocks Mineral Sales & Auctions
  • Buy Fine Minerals from mineralsweb.com
    • Jobs:
  • Mining & Geology Jobs

    • Page Sponsor

    Sponsorship:This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.

    Localities for Gaylussite

    Show Locality List (38 Items)
    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.
    Mineral and/or Locality
    Google
     
    www.mindat.org Web
    Copyright © Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau 1993-2009. Site Map. Locality, mineral & photograph data are the copyright of the individuals who submitted them.Further information contact the Site hosted & developed by Jolyon Ralph. Mindat.org is an online information resource dedicated to providing free mineralogical information to all. Mindat relies on the contributions of hundreds of members and supporters. If you would like to add information to improve the quality of our database, then click here to register. Current server date and time: 31st Oct 2009 07:32:22