Stellerite

Stellerite
Stellerite
General
Category	Zeolite mineral
Formula; (repeating unit)	Ca(Al2Si7O18)•7H20
IMA symbol	Ste
Strunz classification	9.GE.15
Crystal system	Orthorhombic
Crystal class	Dipyramidal (mmm) ; H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
Space group	Fmmm
Identification
Color	Colorless to white, pink, orange
Crystal habit	Spherical, Stellate, Tabular
Cleavage	Perfect on {010}
Fracture	Uneven
Mohs scale hardness	4.5
Luster	Pearly
Streak	white
Diaphaneity	Transparent to translucent
Specific gravity	approximately 2.2
Density	2.13 g/cm3
Optical properties	Biaxial (-), a=1.4848, b=1.4864-1.4964, g=1.4979
Birefringence	δ = 0.013
References

Stellerite is a rare mineral discovered by and named after Georg Wilhelm Steller, a German explorer and zoologist.^[2] The mineral has a general formula of Ca[Al₂Si₇O₁₈]·7H₂O.^[3] Like most rare minerals, there are few commercial uses for stellerite. Mineral collectors are lucky to find it in good enough crystal form. Zeolites, including stellerite, have been studied using a dehydration process to gauge the potential use of their phases as molecular sieves, sorbents, and catalysts.^[4] Its occurrences are in cavities of andesite as sheaf-like clusters of small crystals.^[2]

^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
^ ^a ^b ^c Pabst, Adolf (March 1939). "The relation of stellerite and epidesmine to stilbite". Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society. 25 (164): 271–276. Bibcode:1939MinM...25..271P. doi:10.1180/minmag.1939.025.164.06.
^ "Stellerite". PubChem. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
^ Arletti, R.; Mazzucato, E.; Vezzalini, G. (1 April 2006). "Influence of dehydration kinetics on T-O-T bridge breaking in zeolites with framework type STI: The case of stellerite". American Mineralogist. 91 (4): 628–634. Bibcode:2006AmMin..91..628A. doi:10.2138/am.2006.1966. hdl:2318/80204. S2CID 36048763.

[1] Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.

[Pabst-2] Pabst, Adolf (March 1939). "The relation of stellerite and epidesmine to stilbite". Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society. 25 (164): 271–276. Bibcode:1939MinM...25..271P. doi:10.1180/minmag.1939.025.164.06.

[3] "Stellerite". PubChem. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 19 October 2023.

[Arletti-4] Arletti, R.; Mazzucato, E.; Vezzalini, G. (1 April 2006). "Influence of dehydration kinetics on T-O-T bridge breaking in zeolites with framework type STI: The case of stellerite". American Mineralogist. 91 (4): 628–634. Bibcode:2006AmMin..91..628A. doi:10.2138/am.2006.1966. hdl:2318/80204. S2CID 36048763.

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