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