Formula: Ca19FeMg8Al4(SiO4)10(Si2O7)4(OH)10
Origin of name: for locality Mount Vesuvius, Italy
Crystal system: tetragonal
Crystal class: 4/m 2/m 2/m
Twinning:
Unit cell: a = 15.52 Å, c = 11.82 Å
Colour: green, brown, yellow, white, red, blue, purple
Diaphaneity:
Luster: vitreous, resinous
Habit: crystals short prismatic, sometimes pyramidal, massive, granular, columnar or cryptocrystalline
Hardness: 6 to 7
Specific gravity: 3.33 to 3.45
Cleavage: 3; {001}, {100} and {110} indistinct
Tenacity: conchoidal, brittle
Streak: white
Synonyms/varieties: idocrase, californite (compact variety), cyprine (massive blue variety), xanthite
Comments:
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