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Datolite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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Datolite is the second described mineral in thegadolinite supergroup.
The structure of datolite consists of sheets of four- and eight-membered rings of corner-sharing, alternating (HBO4) and (SiO4) tetrahedra, classifying it as a phyllo-borosilicate. The net formula of the anion is (HBSiO5), with (HBSiO5) as the repeating unit (Foit et al., 1973). Instead of (HBSiO5), the formula may also be written as (BSiO4OH) or (BSiO4(OH)), indicating that the proton is bonded to one of the oxygen atoms. The mineral does not contain any isolated hydroxide ions, though.
Compare also the closely relatedshimazakiite.
John Sinkankas's observed that datolite characteristically tends to occur in "glassy, faintly greenish, wedge-shaped crystals with odd-shaped faces seemingly placed at random" (Mineralogy for Amateurs, p. 547).
Commonly formed by low to moderate temperature hydrothermal, metamorphic or volcanic processes, especially skarns, also amygdulal basalts and some low-grade metamorphic rocks, e.g.,Anchi-Zeolite).
Visit gemdat.org forgemological information about Datolite.
The structure of datolite consists of sheets of four- and eight-membered rings of corner-sharing, alternating (HBO4) and (SiO4) tetrahedra, classifying it as a phyllo-borosilicate. The net formula of the anion is (HBSiO5), with (HBSiO5) as the repeating unit (Foit et al., 1973). Instead of (HBSiO5), the formula may also be written as (BSiO4OH) or (BSiO4(OH)), indicating that the proton is bonded to one of the oxygen atoms. The mineral does not contain any isolated hydroxide ions, though.
Compare also the closely relatedshimazakiite.
John Sinkankas's observed that datolite characteristically tends to occur in "glassy, faintly greenish, wedge-shaped crystals with odd-shaped faces seemingly placed at random" (Mineralogy for Amateurs, p. 547).
Commonly formed by low to moderate temperature hydrothermal, metamorphic or volcanic processes, especially skarns, also amygdulal basalts and some low-grade metamorphic rocks, e.g.,Anchi-Zeolite).
Visit gemdat.org forgemological information about Datolite.
