Orientite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Orientite
Seal of Oriente Province, Cuba
Formula:
Ca8Mn3+10(SiO4)3(Si3O10)3(OH)10 · 4H2O
Colour:
Light reddish brown, chocolate-brown
Lustre:
Resinous, Sub-Metallic, Dull
Hardness:
4 - 5
Specific Gravity:
3.05 - 3.33
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Named in 1921 by Donnel Foster Hewett and Earl Vincent Shannon for the type locality, the Oriente Province in Cuba. In 1976, Oriente Province was split up into 6 provinces. The type locality is now located in Santiago de Cuba Province.
Type Locality:
This page provides mineralogical data about Orientite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3017
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3017:1
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
272f304d-74fe-4749-8622-4ee1c25c70a5
IMA Classification of Orientite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
Ca8Mn3+10(SiO4)3(Si3O10)3(OH)10 · 4H2O
First published:
1921
Classification of Orientite
9.BJ.05
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
B : Sorosilicates
J : Sorosilicates with Si3O10, Si4O11, etc. anions; cations in octahedral [6] and greater coordination
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
B : Sorosilicates
J : Sorosilicates with Si3O10, Si4O11, etc. anions; cations in octahedral [6] and greater coordination
58.3.1.2
58 : SOROSILICATES Insular, Mixed, Single, and Larger Tetrahedral Groups
3 : Insular, Mixed, Single, and Larger Tetrahedral Groups with insular single and triple groups (n=1, 3)
58 : SOROSILICATES Insular, Mixed, Single, and Larger Tetrahedral Groups
3 : Insular, Mixed, Single, and Larger Tetrahedral Groups with insular single and triple groups (n=1, 3)
14.18.22
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.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Orn | 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 Orientite
Resinous, Sub-Metallic, Dull
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Light reddish brown, chocolate-brown
Streak:
Brown
Hardness:
4 - 5 on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Imperfect/Fair
Perfect to imperfect on {001}
may be parting
Perfect to imperfect on {001}
may be parting
Density:
3.05 - 3.33 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.48 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Orientite
Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 1.756 - 1.765 nβ = 1.777 - 1.790 nγ = 1.794 - 1.810
2V:
Measured: 67° to 83°, Calculated: 90°
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.038 - 0.045
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:
Very High
Dispersion:
relatively strong
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
X = red-brown to brownish yellow; Y = yellow to reddish brown; Z = brownish yellow to deep brownish red
Chemistry of Orientite
Mindat Formula:
Ca8Mn3+10(SiO4)3(Si3O10)3(OH)10 · 4H2O
Common Impurities:
Al,Fe,V,Cu,Mg,K,H2O,S
Crystallography of Orientite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Cell Parameters:
a = 9.074(4) Å, b = 6.121(2) Å, c = 19.130(7) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1.482 : 1 : 3.125
Unit Cell V:
1,062.52 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Comment:
Space Group: Ccmm:
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0000965 | Orientite | Moore P B, Shen J, Araki T (1985) Crystal chemistry of the (M2)3+ phi2 sheet: Structural principles and crystal structures of ruizite, macfallite and orientite American Mineralogist 70 171-181 |  | 1985 | Lake Manganese, Copper Harbor, Keweenaw County, Michigan, USA | 0 | 293 |
| 0001007 | Orientite | Mellini M, Merlino S, Pasero M (1986) X-ray and HRTEM structure analysis of orientite American Mineralogist 71 176-187 | | 1986 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 9.448 Å | (100) |
| 4.740 Å | (100) |
| 3.026 Å | (45) |
| 4.070 Å | (35) |
| 3.270 Å | (30) |
| 4.509 Å | (25) |
| 4.388 Å | (15) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Near-surface Processes | |
| 22 : Hydration and low-𝑇 subsurface aqueous alteration (see also #23) | |
| High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 32 : Ba/Mn/Pb/Zn deposits, including metamorphic deposits |
Type Occurrence of Orientite
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, 93819.
The Natural History Museum, London, England, 1923,1029.
The Natural History Museum, London, England, 1923,1029.
Reference:
Hewett, D.F. and E.V. Shannon (1921) Orientite, a new hydrous silicate of manganese and calcium from Cuba. American Journal of Science: 1: 491-506.
Other Language Names for Orientite
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| 16 photos of Orientite associated with Macfallite | Ca2Mn3+3(SiO4)(Si2O7)(OH)3 |
| 8 photos of Orientite associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
| 4 photos of Orientite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 3 photos of Orientite associated with Cerchiaraite-(Mn) | Ba4Mn3+4(Si4O12)O2(OH)4Cl2[Si2O3(OH)4] |
| 3 photos of Orientite associated with Namansilite | NaMn3+Si2O6 |
| 3 photos of Orientite associated with Braunite | Mn2+Mn3+6(SiO4)O8 |
| 3 photos of Orientite associated with Hydroxyapophyllite-(K) | KCa4(Si8O20)(OH,F) · 8H2O |
| 2 photos of Orientite associated with Fluorapophyllite-(K) | KCa4(Si8O20)(F,OH) · 8H2O |
| 1 photo of Orientite associated with Groutite | Mn3+O(OH) |
| 1 photo of Orientite associated with Pectolite | NaCa2Si3O8(OH) |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 9.BJ. | Arsenmedaite | Mn2+6 As5+Si5O18(OH) |
| 9.BJ.10 | Rosenhahnite | HCa3[Si3O9(OH)] |
| 9.BJ.15 | Trabzonite | Ca4(Si3O9)(OH)2 |
| 9.BJ.20 | Thalénite-(Y) | Y3Si3O10F |
| 9.BJ.25 | Tiragalloite | Mn2+4As5+Si3O12(OH) |
| 9.BJ.30 | Medaite | Mn2+6V5+Si5O18(OH) |
| 9.BJ.35 | Ruizite | Ca2Mn3+2[Si4O11(OH)2](OH)2 · 2H2O |
| 9.BJ.35 | Taniajacoite | SrCaMn3+2Si4O11(OH)4 · 2H2O |
| 9.BJ.35 | Strontioruizite | Sr2Mn3+2Si4O11(OH)4 · 2H2O |
| 9.BJ.40 | Ardennite-(As) | Mn2+4Al4(AlMg)(AsO4)(SiO4)2(Si3O10)(OH)6 |
| 9.BJ.40 | Ardennite-(V) | Mn2+4Al4(AlMg)(VO4)(SiO4)2(Si3O10)(OH)6 |
| 9.BJ.40 | Kannanite | Ca4Al4(AlMg)(VO4)(SiO4)2(Si3O10)(OH)6 |
| 9.BJ.40 | Alpeite | Ca4Mn3+2Al2(Mn3+Mg)(SiO4)2(Si3O10)(V5+O4)(OH)6 |
| 9.BJ.45 | Kilchoanite | Ca6(SiO4)(Si3O10) |
| 9.BJ.50 | Kornerupine | Mg3Al6(Si,Al,B)5O21(OH) |
| 9.BJ.50 | Prismatine | (◻,Fe,Mg)(Mg,Al,Fe)5Al4Si2(Si,Al)2(B,Si,Al)(O,OH,F)22 |
| 9.BJ.55 | Zunyite | Al13Si5O20(OH,F)18Cl |
| 9.BJ.60 | Hubeite | Ca2Mn2+Fe3+Si4O12(OH) · 2H2O |
| 9.BJ.65 | Cassagnaite | (Ca,Mn2+)4(Fe3+,Mn3+,Al)4(V3+,Mg,Al)2(Si3O10)(SiO4)2(OH,O)8 |
| 9.BJ.70 | Pavlovskyite | Ca8(SiO4)2(Si3O10) |
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 Orientite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3017.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Orientite
Reference List:
Localities for Orientite
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.
China | |
| Nanlai Zheng et al. (1986) |
Cuba (TL) | |
| AM 70 (1985) +1 other reference |
| King (n.d.) |
Italy | |
| Palenzona (1990) +1 other reference |
Japan | |
| Miyajima et al. (1994) |
Mexico | |
| Gazquez et al. (1) |
Serbia | |
| Pačevski et al. (2016) +1 other reference |
South Africa | |
| Cairncross et al. (1995) |
USA | |
| Morris Jr. (1983) |
| Michael Hawkins |
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Cerchiara Mine, Borghetto di Vara, La Spezia Province, Liguria, Italy