White crystals of the very rare mineral aiolosite from the type and only known locality worldwide for the species: La Fossa Crater, Vulcano Island, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY-SA 4.0
Aiolosite
Aiolosite is a rare sodium bismuth sulfate mineral with the chemical formula Na4Bi(SO4)3Cl. Its type locality is Vulcano, Sicily, Italy. Its name comes from the Greek name Aeolus.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Aiolosite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the sulfate class, with the chemical formula Na₂(Na₂Bi)(SO₄)₃Cl.
It crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system (space group P6_3/m). It is a member of the Apatite structural group.
Key properties: specific gravity 3.589; White streak; Vitreous luster; optically uniaxial.
IMA symbol Aio, IMA status: approved, named in 2008.
On altered pyroclastic breccia in an active medium-temperature intracrater volcanic fumarole.
It is found associated with Alunite, anhydrite, demicheleite-(Br), demicheleite-(Cl), bismuthinite, panichiite.
The name comes from Aiolos (Αίολοσ, Latinized to Aeolus), the god of the winds in Greek mythology. The type locality, the Aeolian Islands (Isole Eolie in Italian) took their name from him.