Offretite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Offretite
Formula:
KCaMg(Si13Al5)O36 · 15H2O
Colour:
Colorless, white
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
4 - 4½
Specific Gravity:
2.13
Crystal System:
Hexagonal
Member of:
Name:
Named in honor of Albert Jules Joseph Offret (24 October 1857, Douai, France - 4 March 1933, Lyon, France), professor at the University of Lyon, France.
Zeolite Group.
A zeolite difficult to distinguish from erionite.
NOTE: The zeolite mineral species epitaxially overgrown on lévyne in all cases is identified as erionite (Passaglia et al., 1998).
A zeolite difficult to distinguish from erionite.
NOTE: The zeolite mineral species epitaxially overgrown on lévyne in all cases is identified as erionite (Passaglia et al., 1998).
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
2960
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:2960:1
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
b34f49d9-9d1c-4aab-af19-8aede6a38454
IMA Classification of Offretite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
First published:
1890
Classification of Offretite
9.GD.25
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
G : Tektosilicates with zeolitic H2O; zeolite family
D : Chains of 6-membered rings – tabular zeolites
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
G : Tektosilicates with zeolitic H2O; zeolite family
D : Chains of 6-membered rings – tabular zeolites
77.1.2.4
77 : TECTOSILICATES Zeolites
1 : Zeolite group - True zeolites
77 : TECTOSILICATES Zeolites
1 : Zeolite group - True zeolites
16.10.23
16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
10 : Aluminosilicates of Ca and alkalis
16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
10 : Aluminosilicates of Ca and alkalis
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Symbol | Source | Reference |
---|---|---|
Off | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Offretite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Colorless, white
Streak:
White
Hardness:
4 - 4½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Distinct/Good
{0001}
{0001}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
2.13 g/cm3 (Measured) 2.06 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Offretite
Type:
Uniaxial (-)
RI values:
nω = 1.489 - 1.495 nε = 1.486 - 1.492
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.003
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
Chemistry of Offretite
Mindat Formula:
KCaMg(Si13Al5)O36 · 15H2O
Common Impurities:
Mg
Crystallography of Offretite
Crystal System:
Hexagonal
Class (H-M):
6 m2 - Ditrigonal Dipyramidal
Space Group:
P6m2
Cell Parameters:
a = 13.291(2) Å, c = 7.582(6) Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 0.57
Unit Cell V:
1,159.92 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
1
Morphology:
Hexagonal prisms
Crystal Structure
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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) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0002005 | Offretite | Gualtieri A, Artioli G, Passaglia E, Bigi S, Viani A, Hanson J C (1998) Crystal structure-crystal chemistry relationships in the zeolites erionite and offretite Sample from Mt. Semiol American Mineralogist 83 590-606 | 1998 | 0 | 293 | ||
0002006 | Offretite | Gualtieri A, Artioli G, Passaglia E, Bigi S, Viani A, Hanson J C (1998) Crystal structure-crystal chemistry relationships in the zeolites erionite and offretite Sample #1 from Fitta American Mineralogist 83 590-606 | 1998 | 0 | 293 | ||
0002007 | Offretite | Gualtieri A, Artioli G, Passaglia E, Bigi S, Viani A, Hanson J C (1998) Crystal structure-crystal chemistry relationships in the zeolites erionite and offretite Sample #2 from Fitta American Mineralogist 83 590-606 | 1998 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
Epitaxial Relationships of Offretite
Epitaxial Minerals:
Erionite Subgroup | M2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O |
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing | Intensity |
---|---|
11.50 Å | (100) |
2.880 Å | (64) |
4.352 Å | (59) |
3.837 Å | (43) |
5.76 Å | (35) |
3.322 Å | (22) |
6.64 Å | (20) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
---|---|
Stage 3a: Earth’s earliest Hadean crust | >4.50 |
10 : Basalt-hosted zeolite minerals |
Type Occurrence of Offretite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Colorless hexagonal crystals to 1 mm. Also in radiating hemispheres and as druses. Crystals are sometimes slightly barrel shaped.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Basalt
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Offretite
Other Language Names for Offretite
Relationship of Offretite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of this group:
Alflarsenite | NaCa2Be3Si4O13(OH) · 2H2O | Mon. 2 : P21 |
Amicite | K2Na2Al4Si4O16 · 5H2O | Mon. 2 |
Ammonioleucite | (NH4)(AlSi2O6) | Tet. 4/m : I41/a |
Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
Bellbergite | (K,Ba,Sr)2Sr2Ca2(Ca,Na)4[Al3Si3O12]6 · 30H2O | Hex. |
Bikitaite | LiAlSi2O6 · H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
Boggsite | Ca8Na3(Si,Al)96O192 · 70H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Imma |
Brewsterite Subgroup | Zeolite Group. | |
Chabazite-Levyne Subgroup | M[Al2Si4O12] · 6H2O | |
Chiavennite | CaMnBe2Si5O13(OH)2 · 2H2O | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
Clinoptilolite Subgroup | M3-6(Si30Al6)O72 · 20H2O | |
Cowlesite | CaAl2Si3O10 · 6H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
Dachiardite Subgroup | Zeolite Group. | |
Direnzoite | NaK6MgCa2(Al13Si47O120) · 36H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pmmn |
Edingtonite | Ba[Al2Si3O10] · 4H2O | Orth. 2 2 2 : P21 21 21 |
Epistilbite | CaAl2Si6O16 · 5H2O | Mon. |
Erionite Subgroup | M2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O | |
Faujasite Subgroup | M3.5[Al7Si17O48] · 32H2O | |
Ferrierite Subgroup | Zeolite Group. | |
Ferrochiavennite | Ca1-2Fe[(Si,Al,Be)5Be2O13(OH)2] · 2H2O | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
Flörkeite | (K3Ca2Na)[Al8Si8O32] · 12H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
Garronite Subgroup | ||
Gaultite | Na4Zn2Si7O18 · 5H2O | Orth. mm2 : Fdd2 |
Gismondine Subgroup | Zeolite Group. | |
Gmelinite Subgroup | In 1997, gmelinite was split into Gmelinite-Ca, Gmelinite-Na and Gmelinite-K. | |
Gobbinsite | Na5(Si11Al5)O32 · 11H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma |
Goosecreekite | Ca[Al2Si6O16] · 5H2O | Mon. 2 : P21 |
Gottardiite | Na3Mg3Ca5Al19Si117O272 · 93H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Cmca |
Heulandite Subgroup | (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O | |
Hsianghualite | Ca3Li2(Be3Si3O12)F2 | Iso. 4 3 2 : I41 3 2 |
Kirchhoffite | Cs(BSi2O6) | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I41/acd |
Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/m |
Loomisite | Ba[Be2P2O8] · H2O | Mon. m |
Lovdarite | K2Na6Be4Si14O36 · 9H2O | Orth. mm2 |
Maricopaite | Pb7Ca2(Si,Al)48O100 · 32H2O | Orth. |
Martinandresite | Ba2(Al4Si12O32) · 10H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pmmn |
Mazzite Subgroup | Zeolite Group. | |
Merlinoite | (K,Na)5(Ca,Ba)2Al9Si23O64 · 23H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Immm |
Montesommaite | (K,Na)9Al9Si23O64 · 10H2O | Orth. mm2 : Fdd2 |
Mordenite | (Na2,Ca,K2)4(Al8Si40)O96 · 28H2O | Orth. |
Mutinaite | Na3Ca4Si85Al11O192 · 60H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma |
Nabesite | Na2BeSi4O10 · 4H2O | Orth. 2 2 2 : P21 21 21 |
Natrolite Subgroup | A subgroup of the Zeolite Group. | |
Pahasapaite | Li8(Ca,Li,K)10.5Be24(PO4)24 · 38H2O | Iso. 2 3 : I2 3 |
Parthéite | Ca2(Si4Al4) O15 (OH)2 · 4H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
Paulingite Subgroup | Paulingite was originally described in 1960. | |
Perlialite | K9Na(Ca,Sr)[Al2Si4O12]6 · 15H2O | Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mmm |
Phillipsite Subgroup | Zeolite Group. | |
Pollucite | (Cs,Na)2(Al2Si4O12) · 2H2O | Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Ia3d |
Roggianite | Ca2Be(OH)2Al2Si4O13 · 2.5H2O | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I4/mcm |
Stilbite Subgroup | M6-7[Al8-9Si27-28O72] · nH2O | |
Terranovaite | (Na,Ca)8(Si68Al12)O160 · 29H2O | Orth. |
Thomsonite Subgroup | The large majority of "thomsonite" is thomsonite-Ca. | |
Tschernichite | (Ca,Na2)[Al2Si4O12] · 4-8H2O | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : P4/mmm |
Tschörtnerite | Ca4(Ca,Sr,K,Ba)3Cu3[Al3Si3O12]4(OH)8 · nH2O | Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m |
UM1996-38-SiO:AlCaHNa | Na-Ca-Al-Si-O-H | |
UM1999-33-SiO:AlHKNa | K7Na5Al12Si20O64 · 24H2O | |
UM2002-40-SiO:AlCaHKMgNa | (Mg,Ca,Na,K)7.5(Al12.8Si51.2)O128 · 65H2O | Tet. 4 2 2 : P41 2 2 |
Unnamed (Ca analogue of Merlinoite) | (Ca,K,Na)5(Ca,Ba)2Al9Si23O64 · 23H2O ? | |
Wairakite | Ca(Al2Si4O12) · 2H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/m |
Weinebeneite | CaBe3(PO4)2(OH)2 · 4H2O | Mon. m : Bb |
Wenkite | (Ba,K)4(Ca,Na)6[(Si,Al)20O39(OH)2](SO4)3 · 0.5H2O | Hex. 6 m2 : P62m |
Willhendersonite | KCa[Al3Si3O12] · 5H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
Yugawaralite | CaAl2Si6O16 · 4H2O | Mon. m : Pb |
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
76 photos of Offretite associated with Lévyne | |
67 photos of Offretite associated with Chabazite | |
63 photos of Offretite associated with Smectite Group | A0.3D2-3[T4O10]Z2 · nH2O |
48 photos of Offretite associated with Lévyne-Ca | (Ca,Na2,K2)[Al2Si4O12] · 6H2O |
43 photos of Offretite associated with Phillipsite Subgroup | |
26 photos of Offretite associated with Erionite Subgroup | M2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O |
24 photos of Offretite associated with Opal-AN | SiO2 · nH2O |
23 photos of Offretite associated with Faujasite Subgroup | M3.5[Al7Si17O48] · 32H2O |
23 photos of Offretite associated with Montmorillonite | (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O |
22 photos of Offretite associated with Erionite-Ca | (Ca,K2,Na2)2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
9.GD.05 | Gmelinite-Ca | Ca2(Si8Al4O24] · 11H2O |
9.GD.05 | Gmelinite-K | K4(Si8Al4O24) · 11H2O |
9.GD.05 | Gmelinite-Na | Na4(Si8Al4O24] · 11H2O |
9.GD.10 | Willhendersonite | KCa[Al3Si3O12] · 5H2O |
9.GD.10 | Chabazite-Ca | (Ca,K2,Na2)2[Al2Si4O12]2 · 12H2O |
9.GD.10 | Chabazite-K | (K2,Ca,Na2,Sr,Mg)2[Al2Si4O12]2 · 12H2O |
9.GD.10 | Chabazite-Na | (Na2,K2,Ca,Sr,Mg)2[Al2Si4O12]2 · 12H2O |
9.GD.10 | Chabazite-Sr | Sr2[Al2Si4O12]2 · 12H2O |
9.GD.10 | Chabazite-Mg | (Mg0.7K0.5Ca0.5Na0.1)[Al3Si9O24] · 10H2O |
9.GD.15 | Lévyne-Ca | (Ca,Na2,K2)[Al2Si4O12] · 6H2O |
9.GD.15 | Lévyne-Na | (Na2,Ca,K2)[Al2Si4O12] · 6H2O |
9.GD.20 | Bellbergite | (K,Ba,Sr)2Sr2Ca2(Ca,Na)4[Al3Si3O12]6 · 30H2O |
9.GD.20 | Erionite-Ca | (Ca,K2,Na2)2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O |
9.GD.20 | Erionite-K | (K2,Ca,Na2)2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O |
9.GD.20 | Erionite-Na | (Na2,K2,Ca)2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O |
9.GD.25 | Wenkite | (Ba,K)4(Ca,Na)6[(Si,Al)20O39(OH)2](SO4)3 · 0.5H2O |
9.GD.30 | Faujasite-Ca | (Ca,Na2,Mg)3.5[Al7Si17O48] · 32H2O |
9.GD.30 | Faujasite-Mg | (Mg,Na2,Ca)3.5[Al7Si17O48] · 32H2O |
9.GD.30 | Faujasite-Na | (Na2,Ca,Mg)3.5[Al7Si17O48] · 32H2O |
9.GD.35 | Maricopaite | Pb7Ca2(Si,Al)48O100 · 32H2O |
9.GD.35 | Mordenite | (Na2,Ca,K2)4(Al8Si40)O96 · 28H2O |
9.GD.40 | Dachiardite-K | K4(Si20Al4O48) · 13H2O |
9.GD.40 | Dachiardite-Ca | (Ca,Na2,K2)5Al10Si38O96 · 25H2O |
9.GD.40 | Dachiardite-Na | (Na2,Ca,K2)5Al10Si38O96 · 25H2O |
9.GD.45 | Epistilbite | CaAl2Si6O16 · 5H2O |
9.GD.50 | Ferrierite-K | (K,Na)5(Si31Al5)O72 · 18H2O |
9.GD.50 | Ferrierite-Mg | [Mg2(K,Na)2Ca0.5](Si29Al7)O72 · 18H2O |
9.GD.50 | Ferrierite-Na | (Na,K)5(Si31Al5)O72 · 18H2O |
9.GD.50 | Ferrierite-NH4 | (NH4,Mg0.5)5(Al5Si31O72) · 22H2O |
9.GD.55 | Bikitaite | LiAlSi2O6 · H2O |
Other Information
Notes:
In a flame it whitens and melts into a white enamel without bubbling. Heated in a test tube, it releases water. Attacked incompletely and with difficulty by acids (cold or hot).
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 Offretite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-2960.html
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References for Offretite
Reference List:
Gonnard, Ferdinand (1891) Sur l'Offrétite, nouvelle espèce minérale. Bulletin de la Société Française de Minéralogie, 14 (2) 58-60 doi:10.3406/bulmi.1891.2205
Sheppard, Richard A., Gude, Arthur J., 3rd, (1969) Chemical composition and physical properties of the related zeolites offretite and erionite. American Mineralogist, 54 (5-6) 875-886
Gualtieri, A., Artioli, G., Passaglia, E., Bigi, S., Viani, A., Hanson, J. C. (1998) Crystal structure-crystal chemistry relationships in the zeolites erionite and offretite. American Mineralogist, 83 (5) 590-606 doi:10.2138/am-1998-5-619
Passaglia, E., Artioli, G., Gualtieri, A. (1998) Crystal chemistry of the zeolites erionite and offretite. American Mineralogist, 83 (5-6) 577-589
Localities for Offretite
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).
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.
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
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Zaječí hill, Arnultovice, Nový Bor, Česká Lípa District, Liberec Region, Czech Republic