Amesite
Amesite was discovered in 1876 and called by Charles Upham Shepard in honour of James Tyler Ames (1810 – 1883), who was simply a creator that is the american component owner of the Chester Emery Mines in Massachusetts and had a rare and unusual collection of minerals. Amesite is a comparatively rare mineral that is phyllosilicate is found in only some locations worldwide. Amesite is generally found in colours of colourless or white or pale green.
However, at the occurrence at the Saranovkii Mine, Urals Region, Russia Amesite crystals are present in beautiful shades of pinks and lilacs to purples. The colours are due to the existence of chromium (Cr) in the formula that is amesite. And as it turns out, these appealing crystals have grown on solid chromite that is black. These crystals which can be colourful be called “Chromian Amesite”. Although Amesite crystals are typically too little to be faceted, the Russian Chromian Amesite can be formed into stunning druzy-style gems covered, in short, sparkling crystals which can be purple.
Sometimes as a result of its breakthrough, Amesite was considered to be a variety of Chlorite and re-named Corundophilite. Amesite was re-established as a species which can be distinct E. V. Shannon in 1920, although he proceeded to refer to Amesite as a Chlorite. Dr J. W. Gruner demonstrated in 1944 that Amesite is a Serpentine. Amesite is now a known member of the Serpentine Group of minerals that include other gem-type minerals such as Antigorite and Lizardite.
Locations for finding Amesite are the locality that is kind the Emery mine, Chester, Hampden County, Massachusetts, USA. From the Lake Asbestos Mine, Ebony Lake, Quebec, Canada. In Antarctica, in the Dufek mafic massif, Pensacola Mountains. From the Postmasburg deposits that are manganese Cape Province, South Africa. From Russia, at the Saranovskoye chromite deposits, Northern Ural Mountains. At Hällefors, Sweden. On Mt. Sobotka, Silesia, Poland.
| Category: | Phyllosilicates Kaolinite-serpentine group |
| Chemical Formula: | Mg2Al(SiAl)O5(OH)4 |
| Magnesium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide | |
| Molecular Weight: | 278.68 gm |
| Composition: | Magnesium | 17.44 % | Mg | 28.92 % | MgO |
| Aluminum | 19.36 % | Al | 36.59 % | Al2O3 | |
| Silicon | 10.08 % | Si | 21.56 % | SiO2 | |
| Hydrogen | 1.45 % | H | 12.93 % | H2O | |
| Oxygen | 51.67 % | O | |||
| 100.00 % | 100.00 % | = TOTAL OXIDE |
| Crystallography: | Triclinic – Pedial |
| Crystal Habit: | As tapering pseudohexagonal prisms elongated along [001], to 2 mm; also tabular. |
| Twinning: | Common as six-fold sector twins on {001} and polysynthetic twins || {010} prism edges. |
| Cleavage: | Perfect on {001} |
| Fracture: | Irregular/Uneven |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Moh’s Hardness: | 2.5 – 3.0 |
| Density: | 2.77 – 2.78 (g/cm3) |
| Luminescence: | None |
| Radioactivity: | Not Radioactive |
| Colour: | Colorless, white or pale green; pink to lilac (chromian) |
| Transparency: | Transparent to Translucent |
| Lustre: |
Resinous, Waxy, Greasy, Sub-Metallic; Pearly to somewhat Metallic on cleavage surfaces. |
| Refractive Index: | 1.597 – 1.615 Biaxial ( + ) |
| Birefringence: | 0.015 – 0.018 |
| Dispersion: | Weak; r < v |
| Pleochroism: | None |
