Muscovite and Calcite

ID	493
Mineral	Muscovite Calcite
Location	Varginha - Minas Gerais - Brazil
Fluorescence	LW-UV: close SW-UV: close
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Mindat data

ID	2815
Long ID	1:1:2815:4
Formula	`KAl₂(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂`
IMA Status	0 1
Other Occurrences	Muscovite is common in many different rock types as a primary mineral.
Diapheny	Transparent,Translucent
Cleavage	Perfect on {001}.
Tenacity	elastic
Colour	White to colorless, silvery-white, and tinged various colors by impurities.
Hardness (min)	2.5
Hardness (max)	2.5
About the name	The earliest names attributable to muscovite include Muscovy Glass, Cat Silver, and Lapis Specularis (stone mirror); these names appearing in texts in the seventeenth century and before. The stand-alone name 'Muscovite' was used as early as 1794 by Johann Gottfried Schmeisser in his System of Mineralogy and is derived from the term "Muscovy glass," which was in common use by that time. Muscovy Province in Russia yielded sheet mica for a variety of uses. Muscovite and sometimes similar species were earlier called mica (Phillips and Kersey, 1706), glimmer (Phillips and Kersey, 1706), and isinglass (1747 according to OED) but all of these terms are still in use to some degree. It should be noted that mica, glimmer, and isinglass were also used for a variety of materials before these given dates and in those earlier times did not always indicate what would be a mineral, much less muscovite proper. Isinglass, for example, was originally used for a gelatinous bladder found in sturgeon.
Streak	White
Crystal System	Monoclinic
Cleavage Type	Perfect
Fracture type	Micaceous
Morphology	Crystals uncommon, tabular {001} with rhombic to hexagonal outlines, often bound by {221}, {_111} and {010} (hkl refer to -2M^1 polytype). Less common as prismatic, parallel to [001], with a crude hexagonal cross section. Most typically found as "books" and as flaky grains in various rocks. Sometimes in plumose or fibrous aggregates.
Twinning	Mica law twins common [310] forming six pointed stars, less common with the composition plane perpendicular to {001} (hkl refer to -2M^1 polytype).
shortcode_ima	Ms
Group	Dioctahedral mica

ID	859
Long ID	1:1:859:4
Formula	`Ca(CO₃)`
IMA Status	0 1
Other Occurrences	Found in most geologic settings and as a later forming replacement mineral in most other environments in one form or another, it is most common as massive material in limestones and marbles. It forms as chemical sedimentary deposits as limestone, can be regionally or contact metamorphosed into marbles and rarely forms igneous rocks (carbonatites). Also is a common gangue mineral in hydrothermal deposits.
Industrial	Mined extensively for a wide variety of uses ranging from lime (cement) to limestone and marble building stones and aggregates, agricultural supplements and optical calcite.
Diapheny	Transparent,Translucent
Cleavage	Perfect on {10_11}.
Tenacity	brittle
Colour	White, Yellow, Red, Orange, Blue, Green, Brown, Gray etc.
Hardness (min)	3.0
Hardness (max)	3.0
Luminescence	Fluorescent
Lustre	Vitreous
About the name	Ancient name. Named as a mineral by Gaius Plinius Secundus (Pliny the elder) in 79 from Calx, Latin for Lime.
Streak	White
Crystal System	Trigonal
Cleavage Type	Perfect
Fracture type	Conchoidal
Morphology	Over 800 different forms have been described. Most commonly as acute rhombohedrons or prismatic with scalenohedral terminations, or combinations of the two.
Twinning	At least four twin laws have been described, the most common being when the twin plane and the composition plane are {01_12}. Also common with twinning on {0001} with {0001} as the compositional surface, producing re-entrant angles. Uncommon with {10_11} or {02_21} as twin planes, producing somewhat heart-shaped crystals ("butterfly" twins).
UV	May be fluorescent under LW UV, mid-range UV or SW UV as well as under X-rays, cathode rays and even sunlight, in a number of colors and shades, commonly an intense red under SW with Mn as an activator (such as at Franklin, New Jersey, USA, and Långban in Sweden.
Comment Luster	Pearly on cleavage and {0001}. Can be dull or earthy in chalk variety.
shortcode_ima	Cal
Group	Calcite Group

Price: € 20

Dimensions: Not registered

Weight: Not registered

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Notes:

Symbol	Element
Al	Aluminium
C	Carbon
Ca	Calcium
H	Hydrogen
K	Potassium
O	Oxygen
Si	Silicium

Muscovite and Calcite

Mindat data

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