How do I identify Farneseite?

Farneseite can be identified by its Colourless color. Look for these key characteristics when examining specimens.

What color is Farneseite?

Farneseite typically appears in Colourless. Color can vary depending on impurities and formation conditions.

Farneseite

A variety of Minerals

What is Farneseite?

Farneseite is a mineral from the cancrinite sodalite group with 14 layer stacking. It is a complex silicate mineral with formula (Na,Ca,K)56(Al6Si6O24)7(SO4)12·6H2O. It was named after a location in Farnese, Lazio, Italy. It is a member of the cancrinite-sodalite group, approved in 2004 as a new mineral species. The group is characterized by the number of stacking layers making up each member, with farneseite being one of newest minerals in the group with a 14 layer stacking structure. It is a clear transparent mineral and has a hexagonal crystal system with crystal class of 6/m and space group of P63/m. The specimens discovered in Farnese were in a pyroclastic rock from the Làtera Cauldera region. In the volcanic region of Latium, Italy, a few scientists found some crystals with hexagonal morphology while doing a study of the cancrinite-group minerals. These crystals were in a rock sample they had collected from a small village called Farnese in the Viterbo Province, north of Rome. They believed the substance to be sacrofanite, but after several diagnostic tests they observed the powder IR spectrum of the sample showed some differences from sacrofanite. They then performed a complete chemical and structural analysis which confirmed that the substance indeed was a new feldspathoid species related to the cancrinite-sodalite group. The cancrinite group are minerals with hexagonal and trigonal crystal systems with various anions and cations located in cages within the main frame. The crystal structures of the members of the group are characterized by the six membered rings of SiO4 and Al04 tetrahedra. The layers are lined up along the c axis in the ABCABABACBACAC… fashion.

Farneseite Market Value Calculator

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Farneseite Localities Map

See where Farneseite is found with a localities map, collecting zones, and geology context. Generate a sample map preview below.

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North ZoneCentral RidgeSouth Basin

Key Characteristics

Characteristics of Farneseite

Most of the crystal fragments of farneseite collected so far are less than 3 mm in diameter, occurring in vugs between interlocking feldspars in pyroclastic rocks. They are colorless, transparent and prismatic. The crystals are elongated along [001] with complex hexagonal shapes and streaked faces. When scratched on a streak plate, it leaves a white mark. Twinning is rarely observed. A crystal with twinning along (1*10) was found. Cleavage is poor in the mineral on {001}. It has a vitreous luster and is not fluorescent. The density that was initially calculated is 2.425 g/cm. Farneseite is brittle and has conchoidal fracture.

Composition of Farneseite

Farneseite has an ideal chemical formula of [(Na,K)46Ca10]Σ=56(Si42Al42O168)(SO4)12•6H2O. An electron microprobe was used to obtain the micro-chemical composition of farneseite, which broke down the large chemical formula into smaller constituents of oxides that make up the mineral. The bulk of the mineral is composed of Si and Al oxides, both adding up to about 60% of weight. Other oxides of Ca, Na, K and S are also present and make up the difference. A tiny fraction of a percent weight is also due to the presence of F and Cl. Trace amounts of Fe, Ti, Cr, Mg, Mn and Ba were also detected (<0.1 Oxide %). H2O content was also calculated and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed only H2O molecules and no hydroxide ions in the sample.