MALAYAITE

    Class : Silicates
    Subclass : Nesosilicates
    Crystal system : Monoclinic
    Chemistry : CaSnSiO5
    Rarity : Uncommon

Malayaite is a silicate of tin and calcium found in stanniferous skarns, where it is believed to come from the high-temperature hydrothermal alteration of cassiterite. This mineral accompanies the classic skarn minerals : wollastonite, pyroxene and andratite in particular. It owes its name to its location of discovery : Shungei Lah in Malaysia. Malayite forms sharp crystals, colorless or pale cream to greenish gray, sometimes bright orange.

Main photo : Malayaite from Ash Mountain, McDame, British Columbia, Canada © Dakota Matrix

Malayaite in the World

The largest known malayaite crystals measure 3 cm and come from Ash Mountain, near McDame in British Columbia (Canada). But good samples are also known in Italy (Val Viggezo, Piedmont), in the Russian tin deposit of Kan'onsk (Eastern Siberia), and in the skarn of El Hammam (Morocco). Malayaite is also common in Japan on the islands of Honshu and Kyushyu.

Malayaite in France

Malayaite is not present in the French underground.

Twinning

No twin known for this mineral species.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes recorded for this mineral species.


Hardness : 3.5 to 4
Density : 4.3
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : White

TP : Translucent to transparent
RI : 1.764 to 1.801
Birefringence : 0.034 to 0.036
Optical character : Biaxial -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : Yellow-orange to pale yellow-green

Solubility : Hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid

Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None