Clinohumite
Clinohumite is a known member of the Humite number of minerals that includes Chondrodite, Clinohumite, Humite and Norbergite. This is a very breathtaking and treasure that is rare is frequently very small and included. The clinohumite that is best comes with an intense and bright orange color with few inclusions. Clinohumite was found in 1876 as indistinct grains embedded in limestone on Mount Vesuvius near Naples, Italy. In 1983, an initial deposit of treasure quality crystals had been discovered near Lake Baikal, in the Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan (former USSR). It had been the only deposit that is such before the discovery of gem quality material into the Taymyr region of northern Siberia in 2000 and a recently available find in Mahenge, Morogoro Region, Tanzania, Africa in 2005. The color that is most beneficial and quality Clinohumite remains from the discovery in the Pamir Mountains. Gems from Mahenge, Tanzania and Taymyr Region, Siberia are reported to be a dark, reddish brown while the Pamir gems are a bright yellow to orange or orange that is brownish. The native people of the Pamir Mountains call the location “Pomir” which means “the roof associated with the global world.” This really is due to the amazing levels of their hills. The mountain that is greatest, at 24,590 ft (7,495 m), is Ismail Samani Peak (referred to as Stalin Peak from 1932-1962 and Communism Peak from 1962-1998). There are other areas for Clinohumite, including Tilly Foster Mine, nyc; Fort Defiance, Apache County, Arizona; Fresno County, California; Luna, brand new Mexico and Franklin, New Jersey, USA, however, these locations do maybe not create gem quality material.
| Category: | Nesosilicate |
| Formula: | (Mg,Fe)9(SiO4)4(F,OH)2 |
| Crystallography: | Monoclinic – Prismatic |
| Crystal Habit: | Crystals complex, highly modified, to 2 cm; massive. Twinning: Common, simple, lamellar. |
| Cleavage: | [100] Poor |
| Fracture: | Uneven to Sub-conchoidal |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Moh’s Hardness: | 6.0 |
| Density: | 3.17 – 3.35 (g/cm3) |
| Radioactivity: | Not Radioactive |
| Color: | White, Yellow, Orange, Reddish orange, Reddish brown, Brown. |
| Transparency: | Transparent to Translucent |
| Luster: | Vitreous |
| Refractive Index: | 1.628 – 1.674 Biaxial ( + ) |
| Birefringence: | 0.0260 – 0.0280 |
| Dispersion: | Strong |
| Pleochroism: | X = golden yellow, yellow-brown, deep reddish yellow; Y = pale yellow, yellow-orange, light yellow; Z = pale yellow, yellow-orange, colorless. |
