Sapozhnikovite

sapozhnikovite

fluorapatite

fluorcaphite

lomonosovite

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Formula: Na8(Al6Si6O24)(HS)2
Tectosilicate (framework silicate), sodalite group
Crystal System: Isometric
Specific gravity: 2.25 measured, 2.255 calculated
Hardness: 5½
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless to pale greyish
Luminescence: Strong orange fluorescence under longwave UV (λ = 330 nm) and weak yellow-orange fluorescence under shortwave UV (λ = 245 nm)
Environments

Pegmatites
Hydrothermal environments

Sapozhnikovite is a new mineral, approved in 2021, and to date (March 2022) reported only from the type locality.

Localities

At the type locality, Karnasurt Mountain, Lovozersky District, Murmansk Oblast, Russia, sapozhnikovite was discovered in a hydrothermally altered urtite-like rock. The associated minerals are nepheline, aegirine, K-feldspar, albite, kyanoxalite, natrolite, fluorapatite, fluorcaphite, lomonosovite (partially or completely altered to murmanite) and loparite-(Ce). The sapozhnikovite forms isolated colourless to pale greyish anhedral equant grains up to 5 mm across (MM 86.49-59).

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