Babingtonite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Babingtonite
William Babington
Formula:
Ca2(Fe,Mn)FeSi5O14(OH)
Colour:
Dark greenish-black
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
5½ - 6
Specific Gravity:
3.34 - 3.37
Crystal System:
Triclinic
Name:
Named after Dr. William Babington (May 21, 1756 Portglenone, near Coleraine, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK - April 29, 1833 London, England, UK), physician and mineralogist, curator of the John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute mineral collection until 1792, founding member and President (from 1822 to 1824) of the Geological Society of London and author of noted systematic books on mineralogy (1796, 1799).
Type Locality:
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
478
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:478:3
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
ea124fbb-0bf5-4a27-9215-3eb39c771317
IMA Classification of Babingtonite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
Ca2Fe2+Fe3+Si5O14(OH)
First published:
1824
Type description reference:
Classification of Babingtonite
9.DK.05
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
K : Inosilicates with 5-periodic single chains
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
K : Inosilicates with 5-periodic single chains
65.4.1.2
65 : INOSILICATES Single-Width,Unbranched Chains,(W=1)
4 : Single-Width Unbranched Chains, W=1 with chains P=5
65 : INOSILICATES Single-Width,Unbranched Chains,(W=1)
4 : Single-Width Unbranched Chains, W=1 with chains P=5
14.18.38
14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
18 : Silicates of Mn and Na, K, Mg, Ca or Fe
14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
18 : Silicates of Mn and Na, K, Mg, Ca or Fe
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Bab | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
| Bab | Whitney & Evans (2010) | Whitney, D.L. and Evans, B.W. (2010) Abbreviations for names of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 95, 185–187 doi:10.2138/am.2010.3371 |
Pronunciation of Babingtonite
Pronunciation:
| Play | Recorded by | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Babingtonite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Dark greenish-black
Hardness:
5½ - 6 on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Perfect
Perfect on {001}
Good on {010} and {100}
Perfect on {001}
Good on {010} and {100}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
3.34 - 3.37 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.26 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Babingtonite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.700(3) nβ = 1.710(3) nγ = 1.725(3)
2V:
Measured: 50° (2), Calculated: 76°
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.025
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:
High
Dispersion:
r > v strong
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
X= deep green
Y= lilac-brown
Z= pale to deep brown
Y= lilac-brown
Z= pale to deep brown
Chemistry of Babingtonite
Mindat Formula:
Ca2(Fe,Mn)FeSi5O14(OH)
Common Impurities:
Ti,Al,Mg,Na
Crystallography of Babingtonite
Crystal System:
Triclinic
Class (H-M):
1 - Pinacoidal
Space Group:
P1
Cell Parameters:
a = 7.50(1) Å, b = 12.18(1) Å, c = 6.68(1) Å
α = 86.3°, β = 93.59°, γ = 112.19°
α = 86.3°, β = 93.59°, γ = 112.19°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.616 : 1 : 0.548
Unit Cell V:
563.36 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2
Morphology:
Stubby, prismatic striated crystals
Crystallographic forms of Babingtonite
Crystal Atlas:
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Babingtonite no.1 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by
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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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0010730 | Babingtonite | Araki T, Zoltai T (1972) Crystal structure of babingtonite Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 135 355-373 |  | 1972 | Yakuki mine, Japan | 0 | 293 |
| 0018477 | Babingtonite | Kosoi A L (1975) Structure of babingtonite Kristallografiya 20 730-739 | 1975 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0018478 | Babingtonite | Kosoi A L (1975) Structure of babingtonite Kristallografiya 20 730-739 | 1975 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0018508 | Babingtonite | Tagai T, Joswig W, Fuess H (1990) Neutron diffraction study of babingtonite at 80 K Mineralogical Journal 15 8-18 | 1990 | Yakuki mine, Japan | 0 | 80 | |
| 0020452 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Yakuri mine, Japan | 0 | 293 | |
| 0020453 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Gronsjoberget, Sweden | 0 | 293 | |
| 0020454 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Kandivali quarry, India | 0 | 293 | |
| 0020455 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Baveno quarry, Italy | 0 | 293 | |
| 0020456 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Brastad mine, Norway | 0 | 293 | |
| 0020457 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Kouraghana, Japan | 0 | 293 | |
| 0018474 | Babingtonite | Armbruster T (2000) Cation distribution in Mg, Mn-bearing babingtonite from Arvigo, Val Calanca, Grisons, Switzerland Schweizerische Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen 80 279-284 | 2000 | Arvigo, Val Calanca, Grisons, Switzerland | 0 | 293 | |
| 0018475 | Babingtonite | Armbruster T (2000) Cation distribution in Mg, Mn-bearing babingtonite from Arvigo, Val Calanca, Grisons, Switzerland Schweizerische Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen 80 279-284 | 2000 | Arvigo, Val Calanca, Grisons, Switzerland | 0 | 293 | |
| 0018476 | Babingtonite | Armbruster T (2000) Cation distribution in Mg, Mn-bearing babingtonite from Arvigo, Val Calanca, Grisons, Switzerland Schweizerische Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen 80 279-284 | 2000 | Westfield, Massachusetts, USA | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
Epitaxial Relationships of Babingtonite
Epitaxial Minerals:
| Scandiobabingtonite | Ca2(Fe2+,Mn)ScSi5O14(OH) |
| Hedenbergite | CaFe2+Si2O6 |
Epitaxy Comments:
Hedenbergite whiskers epitaxial on babingtonite (Nagashima and Nishio-Hamane, 2018).
Platy crystals of scandiobabingtonite forming a thin rim around green-black prismatic crystals of babingtonite at Seula Mine, Italy (Orlandi et al. 1998).
Platy crystals of scandiobabingtonite forming a thin rim around green-black prismatic crystals of babingtonite at Seula Mine, Italy (Orlandi et al. 1998).
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.75 Å | (100) |
| 2.87 Å | (80) |
| 3.12 Å | (70) |
| 2.17 Å | (60) |
| 2.95 Å | (60b) |
| 2.47 Å | (50) |
| 6.69 Å | (40) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 31 : Thermally altered carbonate, phosphate, and iron formations | |
| 32 : Ba/Mn/Pb/Zn deposits, including metamorphic deposits | |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 34 : Complex granite pegmatites |
Geological Setting:
Veins cutting granitic pegmatites and diorites, cavities and vugs in mafic volcanic rocks and gneisses, skarns.
Type Occurrence of Babingtonite
Other Language Names for Babingtonite
Relationship of Babingtonite to other Species
Forms a series with:
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| 513 photos of Babingtonite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 499 photos of Babingtonite associated with Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| 233 photos of Babingtonite associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
| 84 photos of Babingtonite associated with Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| 41 photos of Babingtonite associated with Heulandite-Ca | (Ca,Na)5(Si27Al9)O72 · 26H2O |
| 32 photos of Babingtonite associated with Heulandite Subgroup | (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O |
| 28 photos of Babingtonite associated with Stilbite-Ca | NaCa4(Si27Al9)O72 · 28H2O |
| 25 photos of Babingtonite associated with Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| 25 photos of Babingtonite associated with Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| 23 photos of Babingtonite associated with Apophyllite Group | AB4[Si8O22]X · 8H2O |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 9.DK. | Ferrorhodonite | CaMn3Fe[Si5O15] |
| 9.DK. | Vittinkiite | MnMn3Mn[Si5O15] |
| 9.DK. | Ferri-hellandite-(Ce) | (Ca3Ce)Ce2Fe3+◻2B4Si4O22(OH)2 |
| 9.DK. | Shijiangshanite | Pb3CaAl(Si5O14)(OH)3 · 3H2O |
| 9.DK.05 | Allagite | |
| 9.DK.05 | Lithiomarsturite | LiCaMn3Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Manganbabingtonite | Ca2(Mn,Fe)FeSi5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Marsturite | NaCaMn3Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Nambulite | LiMn2+4Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Natronambulite | (Na,Li)(Mn,Ca)4Si5O14OH |
| 9.DK.05 | Rhodonite | CaMn3Mn[Si5O15] |
| 9.DK.05 | Scandiobabingtonite | Ca2(Fe2+,Mn)ScSi5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.10 | Santaclaraite | CaMn4[Si5O14OH](OH) · H2O |
| 9.DK.15 | Saneroite | NaMn2+5[Si5O14(OH)](VO3)(OH) |
| 9.DK.20 | Hellandite-(Y) | (Ca,REE)4Y2Al◻2(B4Si4O22) (OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Tadzhikite-(Ce) | Ca4Ce3+2Ti◻2(B4Si4O22)(OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Hellandite-(Yb) | (Ca,Y)4(Yb,Y)2(Al,Fe3+,Ti4+)(Be,Li)2[B4Si4O22](O,F,OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Mottanaite-(Ce) | Ca4(Ce,REE)Σ2Al(Be1.5◻0.5)Σ2[B4Si4O22]O2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Ciprianiite | Ca4[(Th,U),Ca]Σ2Al(Be0.5◻1.5)Σ2[B4Si4O22](OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Hellandite-(Ce) | (Ca,REE)4Ce2Al◻2(B4Si4O22) (OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Ferri-mottanaite-(Ce) | Ca4Ce2Fe3+(Be1.5◻0.5)[Si4B4O22]O2 |
Other Information
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 Babingtonite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-478.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
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Mineral Dealers:
References for Babingtonite
Reference List:
Palache, Charles (1936) Babingtonite and epidote from Westfield, Massachusetts. American Mineralogist, 21 (10) 652-655
Birch, W. D. (1983) Babingtonite, fluorapophyllite and sphene from Harcourt, Victoria, Australia. Mineralogical Magazine, 47 (344) 377-380 doi:10.1180/minmag.1983.047.344.14
Burns, Roger G., Dyar, M. Darby (1991) Crystal chemistry and Mössbauer spectra of babingtonite. American Mineralogist, 76 (5-6) 892-899
Janeczek, Janusz, Sachanbinski, Michael (1992) Babingtonite, Y-Al-rich titanite, and zoned epidote from the Strzegom pegmatites, Poland. European Journal of Mineralogy, 4 (2) 307-320 doi:10.1127/ejm/4/2/0307
Localities for Babingtonite
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.
Antarctica | |
| |
Australia | |
| \"Zeolites in Tertiary basalts of the Canberra Region\" (author not known at this time) |
| Canadian Mineralogist Vol. 19 (1981) |
| Birch (1983) |
| Gole (1982) |
| Bailey (1982) |
Austria | |
| Walter et al. (2004) +1 other reference |
| Niedermayr et al. (1995) |
| Stefan (1978) +3 other references |
| Kolitsch et al. (2011) |
Canada | |
| Donald Doell |
China | |
| De Zhang (1996) |
| Liangju Zhang et al. (2008) |
| Rock Currier specimens (Jewel Tunnel Imports) +1 other reference | |
| Fabre Minerals. +1 other reference |
Colombia | |
| Luetcke (n.d.) | |
| Rock Currier collection |
Czech Republic | |
| Novotný (2002) |
| Novotný (2004) | |
| Osovský et al. (Morava, Česká republika) | |
| Kouřimský (1977) |
France | |
| Schupp et al. (2012) |
| Wittern et al. (Cologne) |
Germany | |
| 70. +1 other reference |
| Walenta (1991) +1 other reference |
| Weiß (1990) |
| |
| Vom Rath (1871) |
| Kurz (1975) | |
| Bungert et al. (1992) +1 other reference |
| Wittern (2001) |
Iceland | |
| Schnorrer et al. (2006) | |
India | |
| Ottens et al. (2022) |
| |
| Personal experience-Rock Currier +3 other references |
| |
Italy | |
| Scacchetti et al. (2023) |
| Baldizzone (2008) |
| Bedognè et al. (1993) |
| Nagashima et al. (2022) |
| Mineralogical Record: 14 (3) +9 other references |
| Gentile P. (1985) +1 other reference |
| Lapis (9) |
| Piccoli et al. (2007) | |
| Albertini (2000) |
| Stara (1990) |
| Gamboni et al. (2012) |
| S. Cuccuru (2011) | |
| Gamboni et al. (1997) |
| Gamboni (2003) |
| Gamboni et al. (1998) |
| Gamboni et al. (2001) |
| Stara P. (1990) |
| |
| Bardi et al. (2012) |
| Franzini M. et al. (1978) +1 other reference |
Japan | |
| The Mineral Species of Japan (5th ed) +2 other references |
| erroneously reported in Handbook of ... |
| Matsueda (1983) |
| Nomura et al (1984) |
| Uehara et al. (2014) |
| Nagashima et al. (2021) | |
Mexico | |
| Espejel-Garcia et al. (2012, December) |
Namibia | |
| von Bezing (2007) |
| Cairncross et al. (2007) | |
New Zealand | |
| Railton et al. (1990) |
| crownminerals.med.govt.nz (2004) |
| Railton et al. (1990) |
Norway (TL) | |
| Lévy (1824) +3 other references |
| Weibye (1848) |
| Weibye (1848) |
| Weibye (1848) |
| Knut Edvard Larsen collection MM-3485 | |
| Weibye (1848) | |
| Larsen (2016) |
| Breivik (2001) |
| Brastad (1982) +1 other reference |
| Garmo (2007) |
| Eldjarn (1981) +1 other reference |
| Pers. comm. Rune S. Selbekk 2007 +1 other reference |
| Knut Edvard Larsen collection # MM- ... |
| Pers.com R.Selbekk 2007 |
| Knut Edvard Larsen collection # MM-3482 (Ex-Herman Fylling collection) | |
| Knut Edvard Larsen collection # MM-2365 (Ex Harald Taagvold collection) |
| Rune S. Selbekk (2010) |
| Knut Edvard Larsen collection # 2407 ( ex Stein Rørvik collection) |
| Nordrum (2008) |
| Evja (2022) |
| Witsø (1995) |
| Witsø (1995) | |
| Witsø (1995) | |
| Andersen et al. (1994) |
| Andersen et al. (1996) |
| Wiik (2000) |
| Knut Edvard Larsen collection # MM-5045 (Visually identified) |
Poland | |
| www.geo.uw.edu.pl/PTMINSP/2004/085.pdf. |
| Eligiusz Szełęg private collection |
| J. Janeczek and M. Sachanbinski |
Romania | |
| Szakáll |
| Szakáll et al. (2010) | |
Russia | |
| |
| - (2014) |
| maurice.strahlen.org (2004) |
Spain | |
| Cepedal +4 other references |
| Cepedal et al. (2021) | |
| Dill et al. (2023) |
| Dill et al. (2023) | |
| Tanago et al. (2012) |
Sweden | |
| Forsberg (1996) |
| Otter (2004) |
| Brunnberg (2020) |
| |
| Anonymous (1991) +1 other reference | |
Switzerland | |
| Weibel et al. (1990) +4 other references |
Ukraine | |
| Karpenko V. (New Data on Minerals) |
USA | |
| Anthony et al. (1995) |
| Dana (1855) |
| Rocks & Min.: 70:398 |
| John Burnham | |
| P Cristofono collection | |
| P. Cristofono collection | |
| R.Shepard Collection | |
| Moritz (n.d.) |
| Bill Barrett collection |
| Weber et al. (1995) | |
| Roberts |
| Rocks & Min.: 70:423 +2 other references | |
| Januzzi et al. (1976) |
| Shepard (1852) |
| P. Cristofono collection | |
| King et al. (1994) |
| P Cristofono collection |
| P Cristofono collection | |
| Gleba (2008) |
| Harvard Museum of Natural History |
| Rocks & Min.: 11:124. |
| F. William Miller collection | |
| Harvard Museum of Natural History | |
| Harvard Museum of Natural History +1 other reference |
| Rocks & Min.: 11:124. +1 other reference |
| |
| Gleba (2008) |
| Harvard Mineralogical Museum | |
| 1. Granite Street Quarry +2 other references |
| Gleba (2008) | |
| Harvard Museum of Natural History +1 other reference | |
| Rocks & Min.: 13:183 +3 other references |
| P. Cristofono collection | |
| P Cristofono collection |
| Yale Peabody Museum specimen #YPM241 +1 other reference |
| Palache et al. (1902) | |
| Shaub (1941) |
| Gleba (2008) | |
| Palache et al. (1932) | |
| Rosemeyer (1996) |
| Larry Maltby |
| Heinrich et al. (2004) |
| Rosemeyer (2009) |
| Heinrich et al. (2004) | |
| Smith (2005) |
| Observed/collected August 2011 and in ... |
| Rothstein | |
| Mins. of NYC & Its Environs (1931) +2 other references |
| Henderson (1981) |
| Mineralogical Society of America - ... |
| Mins. of NYC & Its Environs (1931) +3 other references |
| Peters et al. (1978) +1 other reference |
| Rocks & Minerals 80:4 pp234-241 +4 other references |
| Kent et al. (2000) |
| Chamberlain et al. (1999) |
| rruff.geo.arizona.edu (n.d.) |
| www.mcrocks.com | |
| K. Wood collection |
| Montgomery (Nov 1970) +2 other references |
| Rocks & Min (March, 2001) |
| Dietrich (1990) |
| Uwe Kolitsch collection |
| Dietrich (1990) |
| Dietrich (1990) |
| |
| Dietrich (1990) | |
| Dietrich (1990) |
Quick NavTopAbout BabingtoniteUnique IdentifiersIMA Classification Classification Mineral SymbolsPronunciation Physical Properties Optical Data Chemistry Crystallography Crystallographic forms Crystal StructureEpitaxial Relationships X-Ray Powder DiffractionGeological EnvironmentType Occurrence Other LanguagesRelationshipsCommon AssociatesStrunz-MindatOther InformationInternet Links References Localities Locality List
Babingtonite occurrences, Qiaojia County, Zhaotong, Yunnan, China