According to Chinese legend, Jianmu (建木 gin muk in Cantonese) is a tree, used as a ladder when the gods ascend to heaven, connecting heaven and earth. An appropriate name for a mineral coming from heaven, in a meteorite, and existing on Earth, derived from the Earth's mantle.
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Formula: ZrTi4+Ti3+5Al3O16
Oxide, zirconium- and titanium-
bearing mineral
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 4.664 calculated
Environments
Derived from the Earth's mantle
Meteorites
Jianmuite is a new mineral, approved in 2023.
Localities
There are two co-type Localities: Orebody CR-11, Kangjinla Cr deposit, Luobusha ophiolite, Qusum County,
Shannan Prefecture, Tibet, China, and the Allende meteorite, Pueblito de Allende, Chihuahua, Mexico. Jianmuite is
unusual in that it is co-described with both terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples. This is also the case for
grossite, keplerite and
nazarovite
(AM 109.2175).
Jianmuite was found as an inclusion in a corundum grain from the
Cr-11 orebody with wenjiite,
aluminium-rich spinel,
osbornite, a calcium-amphibole
particularly enriched in titanium, a
strontium-rich dmisteinbergite
and amorphous phases (probably residual melt).
It was also found in the Allende meteorite as several grains with corundum,
mullite, tistarite and
kaitianite in the matrix of the carbonaceous
chondrite
(AM 110.4.630–642).
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