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Ludwigite

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Nordmark, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden
© Kjell Gatedal

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Formula:
Mg
 
2
Fe
3+
 
[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
System:OrthorhombicColour:Dark-green to black
Lustre:SilkyHardness:5
Name:After Ernst Ludwig (1842-1915), Professor of Chemistry, University of Vienna.
Isostructural with:Vonsenite


Ludwigite Group. Ludwigite-Vonsenite Series. The magnesium analogue of Vonsenite.

A high-temperature mineral occurring in contact metamorphic deposits.

Classification of Ludwigite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:5/G.04-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:6.AB.30

6 : BORATES
A : Monoborates
B : BO3, with additional anions; 1(D) + OH, etc.
Dana 8th edition ID:24.2.1.1

24 : ANHYDROUS BORATES
2 : A2BO2[XO3]
Hey's CIM Ref.:9.8.2

9 : Borates
8 : Borates of Fe
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Type Occurrence of Ludwigite

Type Locality:Ocna de Fier (Vaskö-Moraviţa; Vaskö-Moravicza; Eisenstein), Ocna de Fier-Dognecea District, Banat Mts, Caras-Severin Co., Romania
Year of Discovery:1874

Occurrences of Ludwigite

Geological Setting:In contact metamorphic deposits as high-temperature phases.

Physical Properties of Ludwigite

Lustre:Silky
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Dark-green to black
Streak:Black, blackish green
Hardness (Mohs):5
Cleavage:None Observed
Fracture:Fibrous
Density (measured):3.6 g/cm3

Crystallography of Ludwigite

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Cell Parameters:a = 9.26Å, b = 12.26Å, c = 3.05Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.755 : 1 : 0.249
Unit Cell Volume:V 346.26 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:Crystals prismatic [001], rare, with a rhombic cross-section and lacking terminal faces. As fibrous masses, radiating to dense felted aggregates; sheaf-like aggregates; rosettes of needle-like crystals. Granular.

Optical Data of Ludwigite

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.830 - 1.850 nβ = 1.830 - 1.850 nγ = 1.940 - 2.020
2V:Measured: 20° to 45°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.110 - 0.170

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Very High
Dispersion:r greater than v, extreme
Pleochroism:Strong
Comments:X = Dark green
Y = Dark green
Z = Dark reddish brown (may be opaque)

Chemical Properties of Ludwigite

Formula:
Mg
 
2
Fe
3+
 
[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
Essential elements:B, Fe, Mg, O
All elements listed in formula:B, Fe, Mg, O
Common Impurities:Al

Relationship of Ludwigite to other Species

Series:Forms a series with Vonsenite (see here)
Common Associates:
SzaibélyiteMagnetiteForsteriteDiopside
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
6.AB.05Hambergite
Be
 
2
[O|OH|BO
 
2
]
6.AB.10Berborite
Be
 
2
[(OH,F)|BO
 
3
] · H
 
2
O
6.AB.15Jeremejevite
Al
 
6
[(F,OH)
 
3
|(BO
 
3
)
 
5
]
6.AB.20Warwickite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
3
Ti[O|BO
 
3
]
 
2
6.AB.20Yuanfuliite
Mg(Fe
3+
 
,Fe
2+
 
,Al,Ti,Mg)[O|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.25Karlite
Mg
 
7
[(OH,Cl)
 
5
|(BO
 
3
)
 
3
]
6.AB.30Azoproite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
(Fe
3+
 
,Ti,Mg)[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.30Bonaccordite
Ni
 
2
Fe
3+
 
[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.30Fredrikssonite
Mg
 
2
(Mn
3+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.30Vonsenite
Fe
2+
2
Fe
3+
 
[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.35Pinakiolite
(Mg,Mn
2+
 
)
 
2
Mn
3+
 
[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.40Blatterite
(Mn
2+
 
,Mg)
 
2
(Mn
3+
 
,Sb
3+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.40Chestermanite
Mg
 
2
(Fe
3+
 
,Mn
3+
 
,Al,Sb
3+
 
)[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.40Orthopinakiolite
(Mg,Mn
2+
 
)
 
2
Mn
3+
 
[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.40Takéuchiite
(Mg,Mn
2+
 
)
 
2
(Mn
3+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.45Hulsite
(Fe
2+
 
,Mg)
 
2
(Fe
3+
 
,Sn)[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.45Magnesiohulsite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
(Fe
3+
 
,Sn,Mg)[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.45Aluminomagnesiohulsite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
(Al,Mg,Sn)[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.50Fluoborite
Mg
 
3
[(F,OH)
 
3
|BO
 
3
]
6.AB.50Hydroxylborite
Mg
 
3
(BO
 
3
)(OH)
 
3
6.AB.55Shabynite
Mg
 
5
[(Cl,OH)
 
2
|(OH)
 
5
|BO
 
3
] · 4H
 
2
O
6.AB.55Wightmanite
Mg
 
5
[O|(OH)
 
5
|BO
 
3
] · 2H
 
2
O
6.AB.60Gaudefroyite
Ca
 
4
Mn
3+
2-3
[(O,OH)
 
3
|CO
 
3
|(BO
 
3
)
 
3
]
6.AB.65Sakhaite
Ca
 
12
Mg
 
4
[Cl|(OH)
 
2
|(CO
 
3
)
 
4
|(BO
 
3
)
 
7
]
6.AB.70Harkerite
Ca
 
24
Mg
 
8
Al
 
2
Si
 
8
(O,OH)
 
32
(BO
 
3
)
 
8
(CO
 
3
)
 
8
(H
 
2
O,Cl)
6.AB.75Pertsevite
Mg
 
2
BO
 
3
(F,OH)
6.AB.75IMA2008-060
Mg
 
2
(BO
 
3
)(OH)
6.AB.80Jacquesdietrichite
Cu
 
2
BO(OH)
 
2
(OH)
 
3
6.AB.85Painite
CaZrAl
 
9
[O
 
15
|BO
 
3
]
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
9.8.1Vonsenite
Fe
2+
2
Fe
3+
 
[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
9.8.3Fredrikssonite
Mg
 
2
(Mn
3+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]
9.8.4Chestermanite
Mg
 
2
(Fe
3+
 
,Mn
3+
 
,Al,Sb
3+
 
)[O
 
2
|BO
 
3
]

Other Names for Ludwigite

Synonyms:
CollbraniteMagnesioludwigite
Other Languages:
German:Ludwigit
Russian:Людвигит
Spanish:Ludwigita
Varieties:
Alumoludwigite

Other Information

Other Information:Slowly soluble in acids.

Alters to Limonite.
Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:None

References for Ludwigite

Reference List:Tschermak (1874) Mineralogische und petrographische Mitteilungen, Vienna: 59.

Mallard (1888) Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie: 11: 305.

Groth (1889) Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 15: 650.

Dana, E.S. (1892) System of Mineralogy, 6th. Edition, New York: 877.

Goldschmidt (1897): 224.

Schaller (1910) American Journal of Science: 30: 146.

Butler and Schaller (1917) Journal of the Washington Academy of Science: 7: 29 (as Magnesioludwigite).

Higgins (1918) Economic Geology: 13: 19 (as Collbranite).

Eakle (1920) American Mineralogist: 5: 141.

Larsen, E.S. (1921) The Microscopic Determination of the Nonopaque Minerals, First edition, USGS Bulletin 679: 102.

Shannon (1921) Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum: 59: 667.

Shannon (1921) American Mineralogist: 6: 86.

Edwards (1924) American Journal of Science: 7: 486.

Harada (1938) Journal of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaidô University: 4: 165.

Geijer (1939) Geologiska Föeningens I Stockholm. Förhandlinger, Stockholm: 61: 19.

Watanabe (1939) Mineralogische und petrographische Mitteilungen, Vienna: 50: 441.

Switzer in: Knopf (1942) American Mineralogist: 27: 824.

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: 321-324.

Schaller, Waldemar Theodore & Angelina Calomeris Vlisidis (1961), The composition of aluminian Ludwigite from Crestmore, California: American Mineralogist: 46: 335-339.

Federico M. (1968) - Studio di un processo di ossidazione della ludwigite. Periodico di mineralogia – Roma, pp. 377-389.

Vlisidid, A.C. and Schaller, W.T. (1974) The identity of paigeite with vonsenite, and chemical analysis of vonsenite, ludwigite and hulsite. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte 1974(3-4): 95-105.

Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte (1989): 69-83.

Acta Crystallographica: 3: 98-107.

Grew, E.S., and Anovitz, L.M. (1996) BORON: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry, second edition, as revised (2002).

Appel, P. W. U. & Brigatti, M. F. (1999): Ludwigite from central Sweden: new data and crystal structure refinement. Mineral. Mag., 63: 511–518.

Anthony, J.W., Bideaux, R.A., Bladh, K.W., and Nichols, M.C. (2003) Handbook of Mineralogy, Volume V. Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates. Mineral Data Publishing, Tucson, AZ, 813pp.: 414.

Internet Links for Ludwigite

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    Localities for Ludwigite

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