Gaidonnayite
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About Gaidonnayite
Formula:
Na2Zr(Si3O9) · 2H2O
Colour:
Colourless, may be pale yellow, pale brown to brown, pale grey, gray green.
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
5
Specific Gravity:
2.67
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Named in honor of Gabrielle/Gaibrielle "Gai" Donnay (née Hamburger) (1920, Landeshut, Silesi, Germany (now Poland) - 4 April 1987, Mont St. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada), chemist, mineralogist and crystallographer. She worked for twenty years at the Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington and later at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. For her Ph.D. thesis she solved the complex structure of tourmaline, and later solved numerous other structures. The mineral donnayite-(Y) is also named for her, as well as her husband.
Type Locality:
Dimorph of:
Classification of Gaidonnayite
Approved
Approval Year:
1974
8/E.04-30
9.DM.15
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
M : Inosilicates with 6-periodic single chains
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
M : Inosilicates with 6-periodic single chains
59.2.2.3
59 : CYCLOSILICATES Three-Membered Rings
2 : Three-Membered Rings, hydrated
59 : CYCLOSILICATES Three-Membered Rings
2 : Three-Membered Rings, hydrated
14.10.7
14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
10 : Silicates of Zr or Hf
14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
10 : Silicates of Zr or Hf
Physical Properties of Gaidonnayite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Colourless, may be pale yellow, pale brown to brown, pale grey, gray green.
Streak:
White
Hardness:
5 on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
None Observed
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
2.67 g/cm3 (Measured) 2.70 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Gaidonnayite
Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 1.570 - 1.575 nβ = 1.590 - 1.593 nγ = 1.596 - 1.605
2V:
Measured: 53° to 59°
Birefringence:
0.035
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.026 - 0.030

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:
Moderate
Dispersion:
r < v strong
Optical Extinction:
parallel
Pleochroism:
Non-pleochroic
Chemical Properties of Gaidonnayite
Formula:
Na2Zr(Si3O9) · 2H2O
IMA Formula:
Na2ZrSi3O9 · 2H2O
Common Impurities:
Ti,Nb,Ca,K
Crystallography of Gaidonnayite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:
Pmna
Cell Parameters:
a = 11.740 Å, b = 12.820 Å, c = 6.691 Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.916 : 1 : 0.522
Unit Cell V:
1,007.04 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Equant to slightly elongated crystals with wedge-like forms. {010}, {120}, {011}, {100}, {001}. Striated || [001].
Twinning:
[012] common
Comment:
Non-standard setting P21nb.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing | Intensity |
---|---|
6.45 Å | (40) |
5.90 Å | (80) |
5.64 Å | (60) |
3.12 Å | (100) |
2.95 Å | (70) |
2.83 Å | (40) |
2.50 Å | (40) |
1.90Å | (40) |
Comments:
26-1387
Type Occurrence of Gaidonnayite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Colourless crystals
Synonyms of Gaidonnayite
Other Language Names for Gaidonnayite
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
26 photos of Gaidonnayite associated with Siderite | FeCO3 |
21 photos of Gaidonnayite associated with Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
21 photos of Gaidonnayite associated with Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
18 photos of Gaidonnayite associated with Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
16 photos of Gaidonnayite associated with Aegirine | NaFe3+Si2O6 |
12 photos of Gaidonnayite associated with Natrolite | Na2Al2Si3O10 · 2H2O |
10 photos of Gaidonnayite associated with Hilairite | Na2Zr[SiO3]3 · 3H2O |
10 photos of Gaidonnayite associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
10 photos of Gaidonnayite associated with Neighborite | NaMgF3 |
8 photos of Gaidonnayite associated with Burbankite | (Na,Ca)3(Sr,Ba,Ce)3(CO3)5 |
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping
9.DM.05 | Stokesite | CaSn[Si3O9] · 2H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnna |
9.DM.10 | Calciohilairite | CaZr[SiO3]3 · 3H2O | Trig. |
9.DM.10 | Hilairite | Na2Zr[SiO3]3 · 3H2O | Trig. |
9.DM.10 | Komkovite | BaZr[Si3O9] · 3H2O | Trig. |
9.DM.10 | Sazykinaite-(Y) | Na5YZr[SiO3]6 · 6H2O | |
9.DM.10 | Pyatenkoite-(Y) | Na5YTi[SiO3]6 · 6H2O | Trig. |
9.DM.15 | Georgechaoite | NaKZr[Si3O9] · 2H2O | Orth. mm2 |
9.DM.20 | Chkalovite | Na2BeSi2O6 | Orth. mm2 : Fdd2 |
9.DM.25 | Vlasovite | Na2ZrSi4O11 | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
9.DM.30 | Revdite | Na16Si16O27(OH)26 · 28H2O | Mon. 2 : B2 |
9.DM.35 | Scheuchzerite | Na(Mn,Mg,Zn)9[VSi9O28(OH)](OH)3 | Tric. 1 : P1 |
9.DM.40 | Terskite | Na4ZrSi6O16 · 2H2O | Orth. |
Related Minerals - Dana Grouping (8th Ed.)
59.2.2.1 | Catapleiite | Na2Zr(Si3O9) · 2H2O | Mon. |
59.2.2.2 | Calciocatapleiite | CaZr(Si3O9) · 2H2O | |
59.2.2.4 | Georgechaoite | NaKZr[Si3O9] · 2H2O | Orth. mm2 |
59.2.2.5 | Loudounite | NaCa5Zr4Si16O40(OH)11 · 8H2O |
Related Minerals - Hey's Chemical Index of Minerals Grouping
14.10.1 | Zircon | Zr(SiO4) | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I41/amd |
14.10.2 | Hafnon | HfSiO4 | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I41/amd |
14.10.3 | Zektzerite | LiNaZrSi6O15 | Orth. |
14.10.4 | Parakeldyshite | Na2ZrSi2O7 | Tric. |
14.10.5 | Vlasovite | Na2ZrSi4O11 | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
14.10.6 | Keldyshite | (Na,H)2ZrSi2O7 | Tric. 1 : P1 |
14.10.8 | Terskite | Na4ZrSi6O16 · 2H2O | Orth. |
14.10.9 | Elpidite | Na2ZrSi6O15 · 3H2O | Orth. |
14.10.10 | Hilairite | Na2Zr[SiO3]3 · 3H2O | Trig. |
14.10.11 | Petarasite | Na5Zr2(Si6O18)(Cl,OH) · 2H2O | Mon. 2/m : P21/m |
14.10.12 | Khibinskite | K2ZrSi2O7 | Mon. |
14.10.13 | Wadeite | K2Zr(Si3O9) | Hex. |
14.10.14 | Dalyite | K2ZrSi6O15 | Tric. |
14.10.15 | Kostylevite | K2Zr(Si3O9) · H2O | Mon. |
14.10.16 | Umbite | K2(Zr,Ti)Si3O9 · H2O | Orth. |
14.10.17 | Paraumbite | K3Zr2H(Si3O9)2 · nH2O | Orth. |
14.10.18 | Georgechaoite | NaKZr[Si3O9] · 2H2O | Orth. mm2 |
14.10.19 | Gittinsite | CaZrSi2O7 | Mon. |
14.10.20 | Calciocatapleiite | CaZr(Si3O9) · 2H2O | |
14.10.21 | Calciohilairite | CaZr[SiO3]3 · 3H2O | Trig. |
14.10.22 | Armstrongite | CaZr[Si6O15] · 3H2O | Mon. |
14.10.23 | Lemoynite | (Na,K)2CaZr2Si10O26 · 5H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
14.10.24 | Catapleiite | Na2Zr(Si3O9) · 2H2O | Mon. |
14.10.25 | Baghdadite | Ca3(Zr,Ti)(Si2O7)O2 | Mon. |
14.10.26 | Lovozerite | Na2Ca(Zr,Ti)(Si6O12)[(OH)4O2] · H2O | Mon. |
14.10.27 | Låvenite | (Na,Ca)2(Mn2+,Fe2+)(Zr,Ti)(Si2O7)(O,OH,F)2 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
14.10.28 | Penkvilksite | Na4Ti2Si8O22 · 4H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
14.10.29 | Darapiosite | K(Na,◻,K)2(Li,Zn,Fe)3(Mn,Zr,Y)2[Si12O30] | Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mcc |
14.10.30 | Bazirite | BaZr(Si3O9) | Hex. |
14.10.31 | Komkovite | BaZr[Si3O9] · 3H2O | Trig. |
14.10.32 | Zirsinalite | Na6(Ca,Mn2+,Fe2+)Zr(Si6O18) | Trig. |
14.10.33 | Tranquillityite | (Fe2+,Ca)8(Zr,Y)2Ti3(SiO4)3O12 | Hex. |
Fluorescence of Gaidonnayite
Bright green SW and LW (Mt. St-Hilaire and Norway)
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.
References for Gaidonnayite
Reference List:
Sort by Year (asc) | by Year (desc) | by Author (A-Z) | by Author (Z-A)
Chao, G.Y., Watkinson, D.H. (1974) Gaidonnayite, Na2ZrSi3O9•2H2O a new mineral from Mont St. Hilaire, Quebec. Canadian Mineralogist: 12: 316-319.
Chao, G.Y. (1973) The crystal structure of gaidonnayite, orthorhombic Na2ZrSi3O9•2H2O. Canadian Mineralogist: 12: 143-144. (Abstract)
Chao, G.Y. (1985) The crystal structure of gaidonnayite Na2ZrSi3O9•2H2O. Canadian Mineralogist: 23: 11-15.
Gordon, S.G. (1924) Minerals obtained in Greenland on the second Academy-Vaux expedition, 1923. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural sciences of Philadelphia: 76: 249-268 [α-catapleiite, kalithompsonite] (abstracted in Min. Rec. 5, 115-127.)
Mandarino, J.A., Sturman, B.D. (1978) The identity of α-catapleiite and gaidonnayite. Canadian Mineralogist: 16: 195-198.
Internet Links for Gaidonnayite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-1634.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
Localities for Gaidonnayite
Locality List




All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Australia | |
| Spandler, C., Morris, C. (2016) Geology and genesis of the Toongi rare metal (Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Y and REE) deposit, NSW, Australia, and implications for rare metal mineralization in peralkaline igneous rocks. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 171:104 (24 pages). |
Brazil | |
| ATENCIO, D., COUTINHO, J.M.C., ULBRICH, M.N.C., VLACH, S.R.F., RASTVETAEVA, R.K. & PUSHCHAROVSKY, D.Yu. (1999) Hainite from Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Canadian Mineralogist, 37, 91-98.; Andrezza Azzi, Daniel Atencio, Marcelo Andrade, Reynaldo Contreira (2018) Crystal-chemistry of Y-poor hainite-(Y) from Poços de Caldas alkaline complex, Minas Gerais, Brazil. in abstracts of the 22nd IMA Meeting Melbourne p 226 |
| Horváth, Menezes, Toft ollections - confirmed by XRD & microprobe |
Canada | |
| Roberts, A.C. & Bonardi, M. (1983): Potassian gaidonnayite from the Kipawa agpaitic syenite complex, Quebec. Geol. Surv. Can., Pap. 83-1A, 480-482. |
| CHAO, G.Y. (1973) The crystal structure of gaidonnayite, orthorhombic Na2ZrSi3O9•2H2O. Canadian Mineralogist, 12, 143-144 (Abstract).; CHAO, G.Y., WATKINSON, D.H. (1974) Gaidonnayite, Na2ZrSi3O9•2H2O, a new mineral from Mont St. Hilaire, Quebec. Canadian Mineralogist, 12, 316-319.; CHAO, G.Y. (1985) The crystal structure of gaidonnayite Na2ZrSi3O9•2H2O. Canadian Mineralogist, 23, 11-15.; GRICE, J.D. (1989) Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec: Canada's Most Diverse Mineral Locality. In: Famous mineral localities of Canada. Published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited & the National Museum of Natural Sciences, 190 pages: 100-108; 166-175. |
| HORVÁTH, L., PFENNINGER HORVÁTH, E., GAULT, R.A., and TARASSOFF, P. (1998) Mineralogy of the Saint Amable sill, Varennes and Saint Amable, Québec, Canada. Mineralogical Record, 29, 83 118. |
Horváth, L., Pfenninger-Horváth, E., Gault, R. A., & Tarassoff, P. (1998): Mineralogy of the Saint-Amable Sill, Varennes and Saint-Amable, Québec. Mineralogical Record, 29: 83-118. | |
| Canadian Museum of Nature collection |
Denmark | |
| Gordon, S.G. (1924): Minerals obtained in Greenland on the second Academy-Vaux expedition, 1923. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 76, 249-268.;Mandarion, J.A. & Sturman, B.D. (1978): The identity of α-catapleiite and gaidonnayite. Canadian Mineralogist. 16, 195-198. |
India | |
| Chakrabarty, A., Pruseth, K. L., & Sen, A. K. (2011). First report of eudialyte occurrence from the Sushina hill region, Purulia district, West Bengal. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 77(1), 12-16. Mitchell, R. H., & Chakrabarty, A. (2012). Paragenesis and decomposition assemblage of a Mn-rich eudialyte from the Sushina peralkaline nepheline syenite gneiss, Paschim Banga, India. Lithos, 152, 218-226. |
Norway | |
| Larsen, A.O. & Raade, G. (1991): Gaidonnayite from the nepheline syenite pegmatite on Siktesøya in the southern part of the Oslo Region, norway. Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift. 71: 303-306 |
| Larsen, A. O. (ed.) (2010): The Langesundsfjord. History, geology, pegmatites, minerals. Bode Verlag Gmbh, Salzhemmendorf, Germany, 240 p; Andresen, P. (2011): Mineralene fra Midtfjellet larvikittbrudd, Malerød, Larvik. Norsk Bergverksmuseum Skrift. 46: 41-47 |
Larsen, A. O. (ed.) (2010): The Langesundsfjord. History, geology, pegmatites, minerals. Bode Verlag Gmbh, Salzhemmendorf, Germany, 240 p | |
| Peter Andresen Collection. |
Collection of Peter Andresen.;Larsen, A. O. (ed.) (2010): The Langesundsfjord. History, geology, pegmatites, minerals. Bode Verlag Gmbh, Salzhemmendorf, Germany, 240 p | |
MAC depository of Unpublished Data, document Larvik Plutonic complex, CM51_735 (Piilonen et al 2013) | |
| Collected by Roy Kristiansen August 2009.; Andresen, P. (2013): Gedigent bly og andre spennende mineraler fra en unik pegmatitt i Tvedalen. Norsk Bergverksmuseum Skrifter. 50, 83-87 |
Portugal | |
| - P. ALVES, C. LEAL GOMES (2010). Mineralização Sr-Ba tardia em cavidades de rochas filonianas subsaturadas do Maciço Alcalino de Monchique. CNG 2010 (Braga, Portugal) |
Russia | |
| Pekov, I. (1998) Minerals First discovered on the territory of the former Soviet Union 369p. Ocean Pictures, Moscow |
Arzamastsev, A., Yakovenchuk, V., Pakhomovsky, Y., & Ivanyuk, G. (2008). The Khibina and Lovozero alkaline massifs: Geology and unique mineralization. In Guidbook for 33rd International Geological Congress Excursion (No. 47, p. 58). | |
Pekov, I.V. & Podlesnyi, A.S. (2004): Kukisvumchorr Deposit: Mineralogy of Alkaline Pegmatites and Hydrotermalites. Mineralogical Almanac, vol. 7, 140 pages + xxiv photo's pages | |
Pekov, I. (1998) Minerals First discovered on the territory of the former Soviet Union 369p. Ocean Pictures, Moscow; Cámara, F., Sokolova, E., Abdu, Y. A., & Hawthorne, F. C. (2014). Saamite, Ba□ Tinbna3ti (Si2o7) 2o2 (Oh) 2 (H2o) 2, a Group-iii Ti-disilicate Mineral from the Khibiny Alkaline Massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia: Description and Crystal Structure. The Canadian Mineralogist, 52(4), 745-762. | |
Pekov, I. et al (2003): New Data on Minerals: 38: 20-33. | |
www.koeln.netsurf.de/~w.steffens/lovo.htm | |
| Pekov, I. et al (2003): New Data on Minerals: 38: 20-33. |
USA | |
| Henry Barwood - unpublished (2010) |
| Rocks and Minerals, (1988) 63:104-125; Rocks and Minerals, (1989) 64:314-322 |
Min News (2000) 16:6 pp 1-5,9 | |
| W. Stoll - L. Horváth pers. comm. 2004; Horváth specimen coll. 2012 Feb. XRD & EDS |
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Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada