Jun 11 2014
Cervandonite-(Ce) was named after Pizzo Cervandone, a place on the border between Italy and Switzerland, where the mineral was first discovered.
Properties of Cervandonite-(Ce)
The following are the key properties of cervandonite-(Ce):
- Cell Data
- Space group: Cm, C2, or C2/m
- a = 11.235(4)
- b = 19.50(2)
- c = 7.201(3)
- β = 121.22(3)°
- Z = 6
- Crystal Data
- Monoclinic
- Point group: m, 2, or 2/m
- As porous, saddle, or rosette-like, rounded, radial crystal aggregates, to 4mm
- X-ray powder pattern: 2.8785 (100), 3.2530 (90), 5.390 (80), 3.0847 (80), 2.7867 (60), 2.6964 (50), 3.5750 (40)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
| As2O5 |
20.41 |
24.18 |
| SiO2 |
17.65 |
15.17 |
| Fe2O3 |
15.03 |
15.53 |
| TiO2 |
11.67 |
11.42 |
| Ce2O3 |
10.00 |
11.63 |
| Nd2O3 |
5.16 |
6.01 |
| La2O3 |
5.14 |
5.65 |
| FeO |
4.51 |
4.67 |
| Al2O3 |
3.60 |
2.95 |
| ThO2 |
2.34 |
1.92 |
| UO2 |
1.35 |
0.33 |
| SnO2 |
1.24 |
0.00 |
| Y2O3 |
0.94 |
0.86 |
| CaO |
0.25 |
0.25 |
| PbO |
0.17 |
0.16 |
| Total |
[99.46] |
[100.73] |
- Optical Properties
- Optical class: Biaxial
- Pleochroism: Yellowish, reddish-brown to black
- n = 1.99-2.00
- 2V (meas.) = n.d
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 4.31 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of cervandonite-(Ce) = 4.65 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PE Cervandonite-(Ce) = 189.69 barns/electron
U = PE Cervandonite-(Ce) x ρ electron density = 818.29 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.02
Boson index = 0.98 |
Radioactivity
|
Cervandonite-(Ce) is radioactive
|
How to Identify Cervandonite-(Ce)
Cervandonite-(Ce) can be identified in the field by its black color. Its translucent to opaque form has {001} indistinct cleavage. This mineral has an adamantine luster, with brownish-black streak. The fracture on this mineral is brittle–conchoidal.
The hardness of cervandonite-(Ce) is 5 – approximate to apatite.
Global Distribution
Cervandonite-(Ce) is distributed in the following places:
- Italy - On the east flank of Pizzo Cervandone, Alpe Devero, Val d'Aosta
- Switzerland - On the west flank of Cherbadung [Pizzo Cervandone], Binntal, Valais
Occurrence of Cervandonite-(Ce) and Useful Mineral Association
Cervandonite-(Ce) occurs in narrow fissure-veins, cutting two-mica gneiss.
It is often associated with minerals such as senaite, chernovite, anatase, muscovite, synchysite, albite, tourmaline, magnetite, hematite, rutile, quartz, and chlorite.
References