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Mineralati

Minerals

Aenigmatite

aenigmatite

Na4[Fe²⁺10Ti2]O4[Si12O36]

Aenigmatite: Mineral information, data and localities.

Aenigmatite: Mineral information, data and localities. — via www.mindat.org · Source

Overview

Aenigmatite, also known as cossyrite after Cossyra, the ancient name of Pantelleria, is a sodium, iron, titanium inosilicate mineral. The chemical formula is Na2Fe2+5TiSi6O20 and its structure consists of single tetrahedral chains with a repeat unit of four and complex side branches. It forms brown to black triclinic lamellar crystals. It has Mohs hardness of 5.5 to 6 and specific gravity of 3.74 to 3.85. Aenigmatite forms a solid-solution series with wilkinsonite, Na2Fe2+4Fe3+2Si6O20. Aenigmatite is primarily found in peralkaline volcanic rocks, pegmatites, and granites as well as silica-poor intrusive rocks. It was first described by August Breithaupt in 1865 for an occurrence in the Ilimaussaq intrusive complex of southwest Greenland. Its name comes from αίνιγμα, the Greek word for "riddle". It was also reported from the Kaidun meteorite, possibly a Mars meteorite, which landed in March 1980 in South Yemen. Other notable studied occurrences include:

Narsaarsuk and elsewhere in Greenland. The Khibiny and Lovozero alkaline massifs on Kola Peninsula, Russia. The Yenisei Range, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. The volcanic island of Pantelleria, Italy.

Identification characteristics

  • Mohs hardness 5.5

Scientific references

  1. Aenigmatite — Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380942 Link
  2. Aenigmatite — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aenigmatite Link