Canavesite - Encyclopedia
Class : Carbonates, nitrates, borates
Subclass : Borates
Crystal system : Monoclinic
Chemistry : Mg2(CO3)(HBO3)5H2O
Rarity : Very rare
Canavesite is an extremely rare magnesium borate whose structure also includes anionic groups (CO3), making it an intermediate mineral between borate and carbonate. It is a ludwigite skarn alteration mineral. Its name comes from its locality of discovery : the district of Canavese in Italian Piedmont. It comes in white fibers gathered in rosettes.
Main photo: Canavesite from Brosso Mine, Calea, Lessolo, Piedmond, Italy © Stephan Wolfsried
Canavesite in the World
Twinning
No twin known for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fake identified for this mineral species.
Hardness : -
Density : 1.79
Fracture : -
Streak : White
TP : Transparent
RI : 1.485 to 1.505
Birefringence : 0.020
Optical character : Biaxial +
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : -
Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None