Ganophyllite
Ganophyllite ended up being named in 1890 by Axel Hamberg from the Greek words ganos luster that is mening phyll meaning leaf, in allusion to your high luster on cleavage surfaces. Ganophyllite is a Silicate that is somewhat unusual mineral commonly types as cinnamon brown to pale pink prismatic crystals, to 2.5 cm forming balls or rosettes or as six-sided micaceous flakes.
Places for Ganophyllite: In Sweden, from the Harstigen mine, near Persberg, and at Långban, Väarmland; and in the Sjö mine, near Grythyttan, Örebro. During the Benallt and Nant mines, Rhiw, Lleyn Peninsula, Wales. From the Molinello and Gambatesa mines which can be manganese near Chiavari, Val Graveglia, Liguria, Italy. In the United States Of America, in the Maple-Hovey deposits, west of Bridgewater, Aroostook County, Maine, and at Franklin, Sussex County, brand new Jersey. From Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. Into the Ananai mine, Nagaoka, Kochi Prefecture; the Noda-Tamagawa mine, Iwate Prefecture; the Kumahata mine, Shiga Prefecture; and the Osu and Yonoyama mines, Kita, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. From Cracked Hill, New South Wales, Australia.
| Chemical Formula: | (K,Na,Ca)2Mn8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)32 • 8H2O |
| Hydrated Potassium Sodium Calcium Manganese Silicate Hydroxide | |
| Molecular Weight: | 1,514.20 gm |
| Composition: | Potassium | 3.87 % | K | 4.67 % | K2O |
| Sodium | 0.76 % | Na | 1.02 % | Na2O | |
| Magnesium | 2.41 % | Mg | 3.99 % | MgO | |
| Manganese | 21.77 % | Mn | 28.11 % | MnO | |
| Aluminum | 5.88 % | Al | 11.11 % | Al2O3 | |
| Silicon | 16.69 % | Si | 35.71 % | SiO2 | |
| Hydrogen | 1.60 % | H | 14.28 % | H2O | |
| Oxygen | 47.02 % | O | |||
| 100.00 % | 98.89 % | = TOTAL OXIDE |
| Crystallography: | Monoclinic – Prismatic |
| Crystal Habit: | Short to long prismatic crystals, to 2.5 cm, forming balls or rosettes; as six-sided micaceous flakes or fine-grained micaceous aggregates |
| Twinning: | None |
| Cleavage: | Perfect micaceous on {001}; distinct on {100}, {010} |
| Fracture: | Foliated |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Moh’s Hardness: | 4.0 – 4.5 |
| Density: | 2.77 – 2.84 (g/cm3) |
| Luminescence: | None |
| Radioactivity: | Barely Detectable; GRapi = 55.45 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) |
| Color: | Light brown, brownish yellow, cinnamon brown, pale pink |
| Transparency: | Transparent to translucent |
| Luster: | Brilliant on cleavage surfaces |
| Refractive Index: | 1.537 – 1.613 Biaxial ( – ) |
| Birefringence: | 0.076 |
| Dispersion: | Weak; r < v |
| Pleochroism: | Dark to pale yellow-brown |
