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Formula: Mn2+9(SiO4)4(OH)2
Nesosilicate (insular SiO4 groups), humite group, forms a
discontinuous
solid solution with clinohumite (Dana),
manganese-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 3.82 measured, 3.97 calculated
Hardness: 5½
Streak: Pale reddish-orange (Dana)
Colour: Red-orange, pinkish brown to dark brown
Solubility: Gelatinises with acids (Dana)
Common impurities: Ti,Al,Fe,Mg,Ca,H2O,C
Environments:
Sonolite occurs in metamorphosed manganese-rich skarn deposits associated
with other manganese minerals, including
rhodonite, spessartine,
rhodochrosite, tephroite,
braunite and jacobsite. It also occurs
in manganese chert
(Dana).
At the type locality, the Sono mine, Wazuka-cho, Soraku District, Kyoto, Japan, sonolite is associated with
rhodochrosite, galaxite and
pyrochroite
(Lauf p54, HOM).
At the Malocidelnikovskoye deposit, Yekaterinburg region, Ural mountains, Russia, sonolite occurs with
rhodochrosite, rhodonite and
other manganese minerals
(Dana)
At Franklin, New Jersey, USA, sonolite is much more abundant than alleghanyite
or leucophoenicite. It forms in
franklinite - willemite -
zincite ore, often associated with
manganosite and zincite
(Lauf p54). The samples are characterized by primary, relatively simple assemblages of several species which
may include manganosite, willemite,
sonolite, hetaerolite - franklinite
exsolution intergrowths, jerrygibbsite,
leucophoenicite, zincite
(usually with abundant hetaerolite exsolution), and a relative scarcity
of carbonates
(AM 70.382-384).
At Sterling Hill, New Jersey, USA, sonolite crystals form on calcite - rich
franklinite/willemite ore with
no associated zincite. Sonolite also occurs as reaction rims on zinc-rich
tephroite which has abundant willemite
exsolution. The associated minerals are zincite,
franklinite, willemite and
calcite
(AM 70.382-384).
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