Bakerite
Bakerite is a boro-silicate that is rare which was found in Death Valley, California and is still only present in abundance there. Bakerite is found therein changed rocks that are volcanic nodules and veins. Datolite and Howlite, that are additionally boro-silicates, form similar modules that are looking but Datolite is harder and Howlite is softer. The structure of Bakerite is closely related to that of Datolite. Bakerite is is a mineral that is fairly soft a Mohs hardness of only 4.5. It’s usually translucent to opaque and frequently really white with a vitreous to the luster that is porcelaneous.
Distribution: in the united states, in California, the mineral probably never occurred at the type locality provided as “16 miles northeast of Daggett” which is Borate, 14 km east of Yermo, San Bernardino County; it more likely was from later authenticated localities in the Black Mountains, west of Furnace Creek, Death Valley, Inyo County; additionally within the Sterling Borax mine, Tick Canyon, la County. Discovered near Tory Hill, Bancroft, Ontario, Canada. At Charcas, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. From Sivas, Turkey. In Italy, from near Sestri Levante, Liguria.
| Category: | Nesosilicate |
| Chemical Formula: | Ca4B4(BO4)(SiO4)3(OH)3 • H2O |
| Hydrated Calcium Boro-silicate Hydroxide | |
| Molecular Weight: | 623.65 gm |
| Composition: | Calcium | 25.71 % | Ca | 35.97 % | CaO |
| Silicon | 13.51 % | Si | 28.90 % | SiO2 | |
| Boron | 8.67 % | B | 27.91 % | B2O3 | |
| Hydrogen | 0.81 % | H | 7.22 % | H2O | |
| Oxygen | 51.31 % | O | |||
| 100.00 % | 100.00 % | = TOTAL OXIDE |
| Crystallography: | Monoclinic – Prismatic |
| Crystal Habit: | Rarely as single crystals, to 0.2 mm, stout, rhombic prisms having oblique terminations or as thin diamond-shaped tablets. As botryoidal and drusy crusts and nodules; most commonly as dense fine-grained aggregates or massive. |
| Twinning: | None |
| Cleavage: | None |
| Fracture: | Irregular/Uneven |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Moh’s Hardness: | 4.5 |
| Density: | 2.88 (g/cm3) |
| Luminescence: | None |
| Radioactivity: | Not Radioactive |
| Color: | Colorless to white |
| Transparency: | Translucent to Opaque from clay inclusions |
| Luster: | Vitreous to Porcelaneous |
| Refractive Index: | 1.624 – 1.654 Biaxial ( – ) |
| Birefringence: | 0.030 |
| Dispersion: | Weak |
| Pleochroism: |
None |
