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Albite

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
This page kindly sponsored byNorman King
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Named in 1815 by Johan Gottlieb Gahn and Jöns Jacob Berzelius from Latin "albus", white, alluding to its usual color.
Co-Type Localities:
ⓘCatharina Neufang Mine, St Andreasberg, Braunlage, Goslar District, Lower Saxony, Germany
ⓘFinnbo (Finbo), Falun, Dalarna County, Sweden
Polymorph of:
Kumdykolite,Lingunite
One of the most common members of theFeldspar group.

Low- and high-temperature structural modifications exist ('low albite' and 'high albite'), with ordered and disordered Al-Si distribution, respectively.

The Na-rich end member of theAlbite-Anorthite Series (=Plagioclase). Usually also included by petrologists in thealkali feldspar group, especiallyHigh Albite, but not in Mindat.

Often associated with potassium feldspar (triclinicmicrocline or monoclinicorthoclase), with which it may form epitaxial intergrowths.

Visit gemdat.org forgemological information about Albite.



Unique Identifiers

Classification of Albite

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
F : Tektosilicates without zeolitic H2O
A : Tektosilicates without additional non-tetrahedral anions
Dana 7th ed.:
76.1.3.1
Dana 8th ed.:
76.1.3.1

76 : TECTOSILICATES Al-Si Framework
1 : Al-Si Framework with Al-Si frameworks
Hey's CIM Ref.:
16.2.1

16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
2 : Aluminosilicates of Na

Mineral Symbols
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent, Opaque
Comment:
Pearly on cleavages
Colour:
White to gray or colorless, uncommonly blue tinted or rarely green or red tinted, while much included albite may be strongly colored
Comment:
May be chatoyant. Originally, Henry J. Brooke (1822) believed that most albite was either pale blue or pale red, but the most common colors of albite from today's perspective are white to colorless.
Streak:
White
Hardness:
6 - 6½ onMohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Perfect
on [001], good on [010], imperfect on {110}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density:
2.6 - 2.65 g/cm3 (Measured)    2.615(6) g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of Albite
Surface Relief:
Moderate
Dispersion:
r < v weak
Comments:
Biaxial - for high variety.

Chemistry of Albite
Common Impurities:
Ca,K,Mg

Age distributionMposkos, E.; Baziotis, I.; Proyer, A. (2011) Pressure–temperature evolution of eclogites from the Kechros complex in the Eastern Rhodope (NE Greece).International Journal of Earth Sciences, 101 (4). 973-996doi:10.1007/s00531-011-0699-2EMPA analysis of albite from amphibole+plagioclase symplectite in an eclogite4Eissee eclogite, Timmelbach valley, Prägraten am Großvenediger, Lienz District, Tyrol, Austria
Hoschek, Gert (2004) Comparison of calculated P-T pseudosections for a kyanite eclogite from the Tauern Window, Eastern Alps, Austria.European Journal of Mineralogy, 16 (1) 59-72doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2004/0016-0059
EMPA analysis of an albite inclusion in garnet from a kyanite-eclogite.5Steinsteg eclogite, Frosnitz valley, Matrei in Osttirol, Lienz District, Tyrol, Austria
Hoschek, G (2001) Thermobarometry of metasediments and metabasites from the Eclogite zone of the Hohe Tauern, Eastern Alps, Austria.Lithos, 59 (3) 127-150doi:10.1016/s0024-4937(01)00063-9
EMPA analysis of retrograde plagioclase from a post-eclogite facies mica-schist6Obidim eclogite, Bansko Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province, Bulgaria
JANÁK, M., FROITZHEIM, N., GEORGIEV, N., NAGEL, T. J., SAROV, S. (2011) P-T evolution of kyanite eclogite from the Pirin Mountains (SW Bulgaria): implications for the Rhodope UHP Metamorphic Complex.Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 29 (3) 317-332doi:10.1111/j.1525-1314.2010.00920.x
EMPA analysis ( State Geological Institute of Dionyz Stur in Bratislava).of an retrograde albite from a symplectite after clino-pyroxene from a kyanite-eclogite.

Crystallography of Albite
Click on an icon to view
Albite no.78 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Albite no.80 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Albite no.256 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Albite no.267 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Albite no.309 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Albite - {110}, {010}, {1-11}, modified
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided bywww.smorf.nl.

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Crystal Structure

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHarding Pegmatite, Dixon, New Mexico, USA 184
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
3.196 Å(100)
3.780 Å(25)
6.39 Å(20)
3.684 Å(20)
4.030 Å(16)
3.663 Å(16)
2.933 Å(16)
Comments:
Low albite. Amelia, Virginia, USA.

Geological Environment

Synonyms of Albite

Other Language Names for Albite

Varieties of AlbiteAnalbite (of Winchell)Anorthoclase with less than 10% KAlSi3O8AndesineAplagioclase feldspar with an albite : anorthite molar ratio ranging from 50 : 50 to 70 : 30.

Originally described fromMarmato Mine, Marmato, Cauca, Chocó Department, Colombia.
Crystals are rare, to 2 cm; commonly massive, cleavable, or granular. Cr...AnorthoclaseFeldspar Group .
Anorthoclase is strictly a K-rich variety of albite. It was long used (and still is by petrologists) as an intermediate member of thehigh albite –sanidine (alkali feldspar) solid solution series, in which the albite member exists in la...Anorthoclase-SanidineFeldspar Group. An unnecessary name for a variety of Anorthoclase with the tabular habit of sanidine but the optical extinction of Anorthoclase.

Originally reported from Drachenfels, Königswinter, Siebengebirge, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.CleavelanditePlaty milky-white lamellae, generally found in granite pegmatites often in large masses ranging from centimeters to meters. The defining feature of cleavelandite is an abundance of parallel platy and/or aggregates or curved curved masses. The crystals of ...High AlbiteStable above 800°C - usually formed in hydrothermal syntheses, has disordered Al-Si arrangement (in contrast to 'low albite').Lazur-FeldspathA blue feldspar found with Lapis Lazuli near Lake Baikal, RussiaLow AlbiteStable below 700°C with an ordered Si-Al arrangement, in contrast to 'high albite'.OligoclaseAplagioclase feldspar with an albite : anorthite molar ratio ranging from 90 : 10 to 70 : 30.

Originally described from Danvikstull, Stockholm, Södermanland, Sweden.Oligoclase-AlbiteA variety of Oligoclase with Anorthite:Albite between 80:20 and 90:10. Now regarded as a superflous subdivision of Oligoclase. [Clark, 1993 - "Hey's Mineral Index"]
Originally described from Dypingdal Serpentine-magnesite deposit, Snarum, Modum, Buskerud...PericlineA variety ofalbite occurring as milky-white, elongated (along theb-axis) crystals, generally in alpinotype clefts.
Interestingly, Breithaupt (1823) defines the morphology originally as tabular.PeristeriteA variety of albite showing slight iridescence and sometimes adularescence (as inmoonstone).Sodic AlbiteAnalbite with an albite:anorthite ratio of less than 5:95.ZygaditeZygadite variety of albite consists of an unusual crystallographic habit: tabular crystals with a steeply acute morphology.

Relationship of Albite to other Species
Other Members of Plagioclase:
AnorthiteCa(Al2Si2O8)Tric.1 :P1

Common AssociatesHex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) :P6/mcc9.FA.HexacelsianBaAl2Si2O8Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) :P63/mcm9.FA.Wodegongjieite KCa3(Al7Si9)O32Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) :P6/mcc9.FA.05Panunzite(K,Na)AlSiO4Hex. 6 :P639.FA.05Yoshiokaite(Ca,Na)[Al(Al,Si)O4]Trig.3 :P39.FA.05NephelineNa3K(Al4Si4O16)Hex. 6 :P639.FA.05TrinephelineNaAlSiO4Hex. 6 :P619.FA.05Davidsmithite(Ca,◻)2Na6Al8Si8O32Hex. 6 :P639.FA.05KaliophiliteKAlSiO4Trig. 3 :P39.FA.05KalsiliteKAlSiO4Hex. 622 :P63229.FA.05CarnegieiteNaAlSiO4Tric.9.FA.05MegakalsiliteKAlSiO4Hex. 6 :P639.FA.05TrikalsiliteK2NaAl3(SiO4)3Hex. 6 :P639.FA.10MalinkoiteNaBSiO4Hex. 6 :P639.FA.15VirgiliteLiAlSi2O6Hex. 622 :P62229.FA.25LisitsyniteKBSi2O6Orth. 222 :P2229.FA.30FerrisanidineK[Fe3+Si3O8]Mon. 2/m :B2/m9.FA.30Buddingtonite(NH4)(AlSi3O8)Mon. 2 :P219.FA.30RubiclineRb(AlSi3O8)Mon. 2/m :B2/m9.FA.30MonalbiteNaAlSi3O8Mon. 2/m :B2/m9.FA.30MicroclineK(AlSi3O8)Tric.19.FA.30 vaGermanate-celsianBaAl2Ge2O89.FA.30CelsianBa(Al2Si2O8)Mon. 2/m9.FA.30SanidineK(AlSi3O8)Mon. 2/m :B2/m9.FA.30OrthoclaseK(AlSi3O8)Mon. 2/m :B2/m9.FA.35ReedmergneriteNaBSi3O8Tric.1 :P19.FA.35AnorthiteCa(Al2Si2O8)Tric.1 :P19.FA.40ParacelsianBa(Al2Si2O8)Mon. 2/m :P21/b9.FA.45SvyatoslaviteCa(Al2Si2O8)Mon. 2 :P219.FA.45KumdykoliteNa(AlSi3O8)Orth.mmm(2/m2/m2/m) :Pnnm9.FA.50SlawsoniteSr(Al2Si2O8)Mon. 2/m :P21/b9.FA.55LisetiteCaNa2Al4Si4O16Orth.mm29.FA.60StronalsiteNa2SrAl4Si4O16Orth.9.FA.60BanalsiteNa2BaAl4Si4O16Orth.mm2 :Iba29.FA.65MaleeviteBaB2Si2O8Orth.mmm(2/m2/m2/m) :Pnma9.FA.65PekoviteSrB2Si2O8Orth.mmm(2/m2/m2/m) :Pnma9.FA.65DanburiteCaB2Si2O8Orth.mmm(2/m2/m2/m)9.FA.70LiebermanniteKAlSi3O8Tet. 4/m :I4/m9.FA.70Lingunite(Na,Ca)AlSi3O8Tet. 4/m :I4/m9.FA.70StöffleriteCaAl2Si2O8Tet. 4/m :I4/m9.FA.75PfaffenbergiteKNa3(Al4Si12)O32Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) :P6/mcc9.FA.75KokchetaviteK(AlSi3O8)Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) :P6/mcc

Other InformationCalavorite
  • Granitoid
  • Syenitoid
  • Dioritoid
  • Foid-syenitoid
  • Foidolite
  • Fine-grained ("volcanic") normal crystalline igneous rock
  • Dolerite
  • Exotic crystalline igneous rock
  • Pegmatite
  • Metamorphic rock
  • Meteorite and other extra-terrestrial rock and sediment

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    • References for AlbiteⓘMount Erebus[var: Anorthoclase]Dov Bahat (1979)+2 other references
    Canada
     
    [var: Oligoclase]Age of the Cabonga nepheline syenite+3 other references
    Colombia
     
    [var: Andesine]Tassinari et al. (2008)
    France
     
    Piccoli (2002)+1 other reference
    Germany (TL)
     
    August Breithaupt (1843)
    Italy
     
    Piccoli et al. (2007)Giacomino et al. (1986)+1 other reference[var: Anorthoclase][Foerstner] Förstner H. (1877)+18 other references
    Spain
     
    Garcia G. et al. (2004)
    Sweden (TL)
     
    Gahn et al. (1815)+1 other reference[var: Oligoclase]Clark (1993)
    Switzerland
     
    Erik Vercammen photo & specimen (Bought at the Fiesch-show in 2003)
    USA
     
    Mauthner (2008)[var: Cleavelandite]The Williamson Southern Group National ...Cameron et al (1954)+2 other referencesMoritz (n.d.)Hobbs (1901)+2 other referencesBrunet (1977)Former Ed Force collection.[var: Cleavelandite]Shannon (1920)+1 other referenceBowman (1902)+2 other referencesYedlin (1967)Foye (1922)USGS Professional Paper 255: 333-338.+3 other referencesBartsch (1940)Cahoon (2005)[var: Cleavelandite]"Western Massachusetts Mineral ...+1 other referenceD.Court collectionMiller (1971)
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