Hanksite
Hanksite is somewhat common as a mineral but hardly ever faceted as a gem. It is hard to facet as it is readily soluble in water so another fluid such as liquor must be used. Hanksite can be an mineral that is unusual it really is one of very few minerals which contain both carbonate and sulfate ion teams. Some mineral references put it in the carbonate while some place it with the sulfates. Hanksite kinds very crystals which can be nice evaporite deposits in arid environments. Hanksite crystals can be large and well formed, but are simple.
There are very loactions being few Hanksite. The best known is Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, USA.
Category: | Sulfate minerals |
Formula: | Na22K(SO4)9(CO3)2Cl |
Crystallography: | Hexagonal – Dipyramidal |
Crystal Habit: | As short prismatic to tabular hexagonal crystals, to 20 cm, striated. |
Twinning: | None |
Cleavage: | [0001] Good |
Fracture: | Conchoidal, Irregular/Uneven |
Tenacity: | Brittle |
Hardness (Mohs): | 3.0 – 3.5 |
Density: | 2.562 (g/cm3) |
Luminescence: | Pale Yellow under LW UV |
Radioactivity: | Barely Detectable; GRapi = 35.47 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) |
Other: | Readily soluble in water. Saline taste. |
Color: | Colorless to pale Yellow or almost Black; may be Grayish Green due to clay inclusions |
Transparency: | Transparent, Translucent |
Luster: | Vitreous, Dull |
Refractive Index: | 1.461 – 1.481 Uniaxial ( – ) |
Birefringence: | 0.0200 |
Dispersion: | n/a |
Pleochroism: | None |