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Type Locality:
Sodalite Group. Also classed as afeldspathoid.
Ideally sodalite hasNa4Cl in the two cages in the unit cell. Unlikehaüyne andnosean, sodalite is virtually CO2-free (Bellatreccia et al., 2009).
In some sodalites, the aluminosilicate cages appear to contain only Na and Cl according to EDS spectra.
Unlikehaüyne andlazurite, Ca and K are seldom in the cages. The grey sodalites from Afghanistan contain minor K.
The white variety hackmanite is reported to contain S, but EDS studies show if it is there, it often occurs below detection limits (~1%) (R.W.M. Woodside, unpublished data).
The photoluminescence effect in sodalite may be connected with admixture of sulfur (presence of S enlarges the unit cell). Sodalite is also photochromic likely due to formation of F-centers (Zahoransky et al., 2016).
Visit gemdat.org forgemological information about Sodalite.
Ideally sodalite hasNa4Cl in the two cages in the unit cell. Unlikehaüyne andnosean, sodalite is virtually CO2-free (Bellatreccia et al., 2009).
In some sodalites, the aluminosilicate cages appear to contain only Na and Cl according to EDS spectra.
Unlikehaüyne andlazurite, Ca and K are seldom in the cages. The grey sodalites from Afghanistan contain minor K.
The white variety hackmanite is reported to contain S, but EDS studies show if it is there, it often occurs below detection limits (~1%) (R.W.M. Woodside, unpublished data).
The photoluminescence effect in sodalite may be connected with admixture of sulfur (presence of S enlarges the unit cell). Sodalite is also photochromic likely due to formation of F-centers (Zahoransky et al., 2016).
Visit gemdat.org forgemological information about Sodalite.
