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Eifelite

A valid IMA mineral species

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Photos of Eifelite (16)

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Eifelite

Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Eifelite

Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Eifelite

Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Eifelite

Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Eifelite

Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Eifelite

Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Eifelite

Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Eifelite

Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

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About EifeliteHide

Bellerberg

Ettringer Bellerberg, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Formula:

KNa₂(MgNa)Mg₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]

Colour:

Colorless to faintly yellow or green.

Lustre:

Vitreous

Hardness:

5 - 6

Specific Gravity:

2.67 (Calculated)

Crystal System:

Hexagonal

Member of:

Osumilite Group

Name:

Named after the Eifel region, a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium, that includes the type locality.

Type Locality:

ⓘ Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Osumilite Group. Eifelite-Roedderite Series.

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

1359

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:1359:4

GUID
(UUID V4):

b893076d-8cea-42fe-9b63-8c38b6ed3097

IMA Classification of EifeliteHide

IMA status:

Approved

IMA Formula:

KNa₂(MgNa)(Mg₃Si₁₂)O₃₀

First published:

1980

Type description reference:

Abraham, K.. Gebert, W., Medenbach, O., Schreyer, W., Hentschel, G., (1980) KNa3Mg4,5[Si12O30], ein neues Mineral der Milaritgruppe aus der Eifel, mit Natrium in Oktaederposition. Fortschritte der Mineralogie: 58(1): 3-4.

Classification of EifeliteHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

9.CM.05

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
C : Cyclosilicates
M : [Si₆O₁₈]₁₂- 6-membered double rings (sechser-Doppelringe)

Dana 8th ed.:

63.2.1a.4

63 : CYCLOSILICATES Condensed Rings
2 : Condensed Rings (Milarite - Osumilite group)

Hey's CIM Ref.:

14.4.13

14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
4 : Silicates of Mg

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference
Eif	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Pronunciation of EifeliteHide

Pronunciation:

Play	Recorded by	Country
	Jolyon Ralph	United Kingdom

Physical Properties of EifeliteHide

Lustre:

Vitreous

Transparency:

Transparent

Colour:

Colorless to faintly yellow or green.

Streak:

White

Hardness:

5 - 6 on Mohs scale

Density:

2.67 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Optical Data of EifeliteHide

Type:

Uniaxial (+)

RI values:

n_ω = 1.543 - 1.545 n_ε = 1.544 - 1.546

Max Birefringence:

δ = 0.001

Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.

Surface Relief:

Low

Chemistry of EifeliteHide

Mindat Formula:

KNa₂(MgNa)Mg₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]

Elements listed:

K, Mg, Na, O, Si - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Common Impurities:

Ti,Al,Cr,Mn,Fe,Cu,Zn

Crystallography of EifeliteHide

Crystal System:

Hexagonal

Class (H-M):

6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) - Dihexagonal Dipyramidal

Space Group:

P6/mcc

Cell Parameters:

a = 10.155 Å, c = 14.223(6) Å

Ratio:

a:c = 1 : 1.401

Unit Cell V:

1,270.23 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Crystal StructureHide

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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)
0013387	Eifelite	Nguyen N, Choisnet J, Raveau B (1980) Silicates synthetiques a structure milarite Journal of Solid State Chemistry 34 1-9		1980	synthetic	0	293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Eifelite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Nguyen N'
'Choisnet J'
'Raveau B'
_journal_name_full 'Journal of Solid State Chemistry'
_journal_volume 34 
_journal_year 1980
_journal_page_first 1
_journal_page_last 9
_publ_section_title
;
 Silicates synthetiques a structure milarite
;
_database_code_amcsd 0013387
_chemical_compound_source 'Synthetic'
_chemical_formula_sum 'K Na Mg5 Si12 O30'
_cell_length_a 10.152
_cell_length_b 10.152
_cell_length_c 14.28
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
_cell_angle_gamma 120
_cell_volume 1274.565
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      2.607
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'P 6/m c c'
loop_
_space_group_symop_operation_xyz
  'x,y,z'
  '-x,-x+y,1/2+z'
  'x,x-y,1/2-z'
  '-x+y,-x,-z'
  'x-y,x,z'
  '-y,-x,1/2+z'
  'y,x,1/2-z'
  'y,-x+y,-z'
  '-y,x-y,z'
  'x-y,-y,1/2+z'
  '-x+y,y,1/2-z'
  'x,y,-z'
  '-x,-y,z'
  'x,x-y,1/2+z'
  '-x,-x+y,1/2-z'
  'x-y,x,-z'
  '-x+y,-x,z'
  'y,x,1/2+z'
  '-y,-x,1/2-z'
  '-y,x-y,-z'
  'y,-x+y,z'
  '-x+y,y,1/2+z'
  'x-y,-y,1/2-z'
  '-x,-y,-z'
loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
_atom_site_occupancy
_atom_site_U_iso_or_equiv
KA1   0.00000   0.00000   0.25000   1.00000   0.02786
NaA2   0.33333   0.66667   0.00000   0.50000   0.00760
MgM1   0.33333   0.66667   0.25000   1.00000   0.02153
MgM2   0.50000   0.00000   0.25000   1.00000   0.01520
Si   0.76300   0.11400   0.10900   1.00000   0.01393
O1   0.73400   0.13200   0.00000   1.00000   0.00760
O2   0.94500   0.22100   0.13300   1.00000   0.01773
O3   0.66200   0.15700   0.17200   1.00000   0.00887

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
3.26 Å	(100)
3.75 Å	(90)
4.43 Å	(60)
7.07 Å	(50)
5.11 Å	(50)
4.14 Å	(50)
2.91 Å	(50)

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks	>3.0
35 : Ultra-alkali and agpaitic igneous rocks
Stage 5: Initiation of plate tectonics	<3.5-2.5
40 : Regional metamorphism (greenschist, amphibolite, granulite facies)

Type Occurrence of EifeliteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

General Appearance of Type Material:

Crystals platy to prismatic.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

Institute for Mineralogy, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, 162496.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

Vesicles in contact metamorphosed basement gneiss xenoliths in leucite tephrite.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Tridymite	Sanidine	Quartz	Pyroxene Group	Pseudobrookite
Hematite	Amphibole Supergroup

Reference:

Abraham, K.. Gebert, W., Medenbach, 0., Schreyer, W., Hentschel, G., (1980) KNa3Mg4,5[Si12O30], ein neues Mineral der Milaritgruppe aus der Eifel, mit Natrium in Oktaederposition. Fortschritte der Mineralogie: 58(1): 3-4.

Synonyms of EifeliteHide

IMA1980-097

Other Language Names for EifeliteHide

German:Eifelit

Russian:Эйфелит

Spanish:Eifelita

Relationship of Eifelite to other SpeciesHide

Member of:

Osumilite Group

Other Members of this group:

Agakhanovite-(Y)	K◻₂(YCa)Be₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Almarudite	K◻₂Mn²⁺₂(Be₂Al)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mmm
Aluminosugilite	KNa₂Al₂Li₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Armenite	Ba(H₂O)₂Ca₂Al₃[Al₃Si₉O₃₀]	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnna
Berezanskite	K◻₂Ti₂Li₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Brannockite	K◻₂Sn₂Li₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Chayesite	K◻₂Mg₂(Mg₂Fe³⁺)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Darapiosite	KNa₂Mn₂(Zn₂Li)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Dusmatovite	K(K◻)Mn²⁺₂Zn₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Friedrichbeckeite	K(◻Na)Mg₂(Be₂Mg)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Klöchite	K◻₂(Fe²⁺Fe³⁺)Zn₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6₃/mmc
Laurentthomasite	K◻₂Mg₂(Be₂Al)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Merrihueite	K(◻Na)Fe²⁺₂Fe²⁺₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Milarite	K(◻H₂O)Ca₂(Be₂Al)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Oftedalite	K◻₂(ScCa)Be₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Osumilite	K◻₂Fe²⁺₂Al₃[Al₂Si₁₀O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Osumilite-(Mg)	K◻₂Mg₂Al₃[Al₂Si₁₀O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Poudretteite	K◻₂Na₂B₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Roedderite	K(◻Na)Mg₂Mg₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6 m2 : P6₂c
Shibkovite	K(◻K)Ca₂Zn₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Sogdianite	K◻₂Zr₂Li₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Sugilite	KNa₂Fe³⁺₂Li₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
Trattnerite	◻(◻)₂Fe³⁺₂Mg₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
UM1990-73-SiO:KMnNaZn	K(KNa_0.5◻_0.5)(Mn_1.5Na_0.5)Zn₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex.
Unnamed (Mn3+-dominant analog of Sugilite)	KNa₂Mn³⁺₂Li₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]
Yagiite	Na◻₂Mg₂Al₃[Al₂Si₁₀O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc

Forms a series with:

Roedderite

Eifelite-Roedderite Series

Common AssociatesHide

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:

1 photo of Eifelite associated with Titanite

CaTi(SiO₄)O

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

9.CM.	Agakhanovite-(Y)	K◻₂(YCa)Be₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Armenite	Ba(H₂O)₂Ca₂Al₃[Al₃Si₉O₃₀]	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnna
9.CM.05	Brannockite	K◻₂Sn₂Li₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Chayesite	K◻₂Mg₂(Mg₂Fe³⁺)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Darapiosite	KNa₂Mn₂(Zn₂Li)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Merrihueite	K(◻Na)Fe²⁺₂Fe²⁺₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Milarite	K(◻H₂O)Ca₂(Be₂Al)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Osumilite-(Mg)	K◻₂Mg₂Al₃[Al₂Si₁₀O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Osumilite	K◻₂Fe²⁺₂Al₃[Al₂Si₁₀O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Poudretteite	K◻₂Na₂B₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Roedderite	K(◻Na)Mg₂Mg₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6 m2 : P6₂c
9.CM.05	Sogdianite	K◻₂Zr₂Li₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Sugilite	KNa₂Fe³⁺₂Li₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Yagiite	Na◻₂Mg₂Al₃[Al₂Si₁₀O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Berezanskite	K◻₂Ti₂Li₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Dusmatovite	K(K◻)Mn²⁺₂Zn₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Shibkovite	K(◻K)Ca₂Zn₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Almarudite	K◻₂Mn²⁺₂(Be₂Al)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mmm
9.CM.05	Trattnerite	◻(◻)₂Fe³⁺₂Mg₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Oftedalite	K◻₂(ScCa)Be₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	Klöchite	K◻₂(Fe²⁺Fe³⁺)Zn₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6₃/mmc
9.CM.05	Friedrichbeckeite	K(◻Na)Mg₂(Be₂Mg)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05	UM1990-73-SiO:KMnNaZn	K(KNa_0.5◻_0.5)(Mn_1.5Na_0.5)Zn₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex.
9.CM.05	Laurentthomasite	K◻₂Mg₂(Be₂Al)[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.9.CM.	Aluminosugilite	KNa₂Al₂Li₃[Si₁₂O₃₀]	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.10	Faizievite	K₂Na(Ca₆Na)Ti₄Li₆[Si₆O₁₈]₂[Si₁₂O₃₀]F₂	Tric. 1 : P1

Other InformationHide

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 EifeliteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-1359.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

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References for EifeliteHide

Reference List:

Fleischer, M., Chao, G.Y., Francis, C.A., Pabst, A. (1981) New mineral names. American Mineralogist: 66: 217-220 (218).

Abraham, K., Gebert, W., Medenbach, O., Schreyer, W., Hentschel, G. (1983) Eifelite, KNa3Mg4Si12O30, a new mineral of the osumilite group with octahedral sodium. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 82 (2) 252-258 doi:10.1007/bf01166619

Dunn, Pete J., Chao, George Y., Grice, Joel D., Ferraiolo, James A., Fleischer, Michael, Pabst, Adolf, Zilczer, Janet A. (1984) New mineral names. American Mineralogist, 69 (5-6) 565-569

Gagné, Olivier C., Hawthorne, Frank C. (2016) Chemographic Exploration of the Milarite-Type Structure. The Canadian Mineralogist, 54 (5) 1229-1247 doi:10.3749/canmin.1500088

(2023) Eifelite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for EifeliteHide

This 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.

Locality ListHide

- 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). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.


Germany
Rhineland-Palatinate Mayen-Koblenz Mendig Bell ⓘ Rothenberg Quarry	Günter Blaß (2014)
Vordereifel Ettringen ⓘ Caspar quarry (TL)	Abraham et al. (1980) +1 other reference

Eifelite

About EifeliteHide

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of EifeliteHide

Classification of EifeliteHide

Mineral SymbolsHide

Pronunciation of EifeliteHide

Physical Properties of EifeliteHide

Optical Data of EifeliteHide

Chemistry of EifeliteHide

Crystallography of EifeliteHide

Crystal StructureHide

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Type Occurrence of EifeliteHide

Synonyms of EifeliteHide

Other Language Names for EifeliteHide

Relationship of Eifelite to other SpeciesHide

Common AssociatesHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

Other InformationHide

Internet Links for EifeliteHide

References for EifeliteHide

Localities for EifeliteHide

Locality ListHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide