Inyoite
Inyoite, like other borates, is a mineral that is complex is found in playa lakes and other evaporite deposits. It is rarely available as a gem that is faceted. Inyoite is one particular gems that are unusual are water soluble.
Distribution: in america, in California, from an adit on Mount Blanco, Furnace Creek district, Death Valley, Inyo Co., plus in the Kramer borate deposit, Boron, Kern Co. From Hillsborough and Wentworth, brand new Brunswick, Canada. In big amounts in the Inder boron deposit, Kazakhstan. From many deposits in the Bigadi¸c borate region, Balikesir Province, Turkey. In Argentina, through the Loma Blanca deposit, eight km southwest of Coranzul´i, Jujuy Province; within the Tincalayu borax deposit, Salar del Hombre Muerto, and during the Monte Azul mine, south of Sijes, Salta Province. From Laguna Salinas, about 65 km east of Arequipa, Arequipa Province, Peru.
| Category: | Nesoborates |
| Chemical Formula: | CaB3O3(OH)5 • 4(H2O) |
| Hydrated Calcium Borate Hydroxide | |
| Molecular Weight: | 277.60 gm |
| Composition: | Calcium | 14.44 % | Ca | 20.20 % | CaO |
| Boron | 11.68 % | B | 37.62 % | B2O3 | |
| Hydrogen | 4.72 % | H | 42.18 % | H2O | |
| Oxygen | 69.16 % | O | |||
| 100.00 % | 100.00 % | = TOTAL OXIDE |
| Crystallography: | Monoclinic – Prismatic |
| Crystal Habit: | Typically as crystals, short prismatic along [001], tabular on {001}, exhibiting prominent {110} and {001} and a dozen other minor forms, to 2.5 cm; in cockscomb aggregates of pseudorhombohedral crystals; also coarse spherulitic, granular. |
| Twinning: | None |
| Cleavage: | Good on {001}, Distinct on {010} |
| Fracture: | Irregular/Uneven |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Moh’s Hardness: | 2.0 |
| Density: | 1.875 (g/cm3) |
| Luminescence: | None |
| Radioactivity: | Not Radioactive |
| Other: | Soluble in hot water and dilute acids |
| Color: | Colorless, White upon dehydration, Pinkish White with impurities |
| Transparency: | Transparent, Translucent upon dehydration |
| Luster: | Vitreous |
| Refractive Index: | 1.490 – 1.520 Biaxial ( – ) |
| Birefringence: | 0.0250 |
| Dispersion: | Relatively Weakt; r < v |
| Pleochroism: | None |
