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Formula: MgBO2(OH)
Anhydrous borate containing hydroxyl, forms a series with
sussexite
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 2.62 measured
Hardness: 3 to 3½
Streak: White
Colour: White to light yellow; colourless in transmitted light
Solubility: Slowly soluble in acids
Environments
Chemical sedimentary environments
Metamorphic environments
Szaibélyite is widely distributed; it is found in boron-bearing contact metamorphosed
limestone
and dolostone, in skarn, on
serpentinite, and uncommonly in marine evaporite deposits
(Dana, Webmin, HOM).
Associated minerals in skarn include ludwigite,
hulsite, magnetite,
fluoborite, vonsenite,
sinhalite, nordenskiöldine,
warwickite, brucite,
aragonite, brugnatellite,
clinohumite and dolomite
(HOM, Mindat).
Associated minerals in marine salt deposits include boracite,
sylvite, halite and
kainite
(HOM, Mindat).
Localities
At the Qaragol Boron mine, 80 kilometers southwest of the city of Zanjan, Iran, the major mineral is
hydroboracite, with minor colemanite,
inyoite, meyerhofferite and szaibélyite
(R&M 92.6.542-544).
At the type locality, the Băiţa mining district, Nucet, Bihor, Romania, szaibélyite occurs in magnesian
skarn hosted by dolomitic
marble, near the contact with a granite –
granodiorite body. Associated minerals include
calcite, dolomite,
magnesite, kotoite,
suanite, ludwigite,
fluoborite, fluorite,
chondrodite, norbergite,
magnetite, brucite,
chrysotile, lizardite,
clinochlore, lepidocrocite and
goethite. Szaibélyite from this locality is estimated to have developed at temperatures of 160 to
450oC and pressures of 0.6 to 3 kbar, at relatively high activity of fluorine, and at low potentials of iron and manganese
(CM 39.111-127).
At the Bazhenovsk deposit, Asbest, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, radiating white aggregates of szaibélyite have been found embedded in a
serpentinite matrix
(FM 80226).
In Zechstein Evaporites at the Boulby Mine, Cleveland, England, UK, szaibélyite has been found intimately associated with
volkovskite, boracite,
hilgardite and hydroboracite
(R&M 91-5.434-441).
At Clarke county, Alabama, USA, szaibélyite occurs in salt cores
(Dana).
Alteration
Szaibélyite is an alteration product of colemanite,
inyoite, and hydroboracite
(Mindat).
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