Bennesherite

bennesherite

rankinite

gehlenite

fresnoite

Images

Formula: Ba2Fe2+Si2O7
Sorosilicate (Si2O7 groups), melilite group, barium-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 4.39 calculated
Hardness: 5
Streak: White
Colour: Light yellow to lemon coloured
Environments

Volcanic igneous environments
Metamorphic environments

Localities

At the type locality, the Gurim anticline, Hatrurim Basin, Tamar Regional Council, Beersheba Subdistrict, Southern District, Israel, bennesherite was discovered in thin veins of rankinite paralava within pyrometamorphic gehlenite hornfels. Bennesherite occurs in small intergranular spaces between large crystals of rankinite, gehlenite and garnet together with other barium minerals such as fresnoite, walstromite, zadovite, gurimite, hexacelsian and celsian. In some grains, epitaxial intergrowths of bennesherite and fresnoite are observed (AM 107.1.138-146).

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