Patynite

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Formula: NaKCa₄[Si₉O₂₃]
Inosilicate (chain silicate) with single and multiple chains
Crystal system: Triclinic
Specific gravity: 2.70 measured, 2.793 calculated for the empirical formula
Hardness: 6
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless (individuals) to white or white-brownish (aggregates)
Solubility: Does not react with cold hydrochloric or nitric acid
Environments

Metamorphic environments

Patynite is a relatively new mineral, approved in 2019 and to date (December 2025) reported only from the type locality.

Localities

At the type locality, the Patyn Mt. Massif, Synzas River, Tashtagolsky District, Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, patynite forms lamellae up to 1 x 0.5 cm and is closely intergrown with charoite, tokkoite, diopside and graphite. Other associated minerals include monticellite, wollastonite, pectolite, calcite and orthoclase. Patynite is colourless in individual lamellae to white and white-brownish in aggregates. It has vitreous to silky lustre, white streak, brittle tenacity and stepped fractures. Patynite is an inosilicate with a new type of sextuple branched tubular chain [(Si₉O₂₃)^10-] with an internal channel and [(Si₁₈O₄₆)^20-] as the repeat unit. It occurs in alluvium derived from diopside-wollastonite skarn formed at the contact of pyroxenite with marmorised (transformed into marble by metamorphism) limestone (Minerals 9 (10) 611, HOM).
Patynite from the Patyn Mt - Image

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