Bazzite Locality: Seula Mine (ex Montecatini quarry), Mount Camoscio, Oltrefiume, Baveno, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy Original description: — Photo: Sergio Varvello · Public domain
Bazzite
Also known as: Scandium beryl.
A beryllium-scandium ring silicate forming small blue hexagonal crystals — essentially the scandium analogue of beryl.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Bazzite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the silicate class, with the chemical formula Be₃(Sc,Fe³⁺,Mg)₂Si₆O₁₈·Na₀.₃₂·nH₂O.
It crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system (space group P6/mcc). It is a member of the Beryl structural group.
Key properties: Mohs hardness 6.5–7; specific gravity 2.77–2.85; typically blue; white streak; vitreous luster; refractive index 1.621; optically uniaxial.
IMA symbol Bz, grandfathered status — known before the IMA’s founding, named in 1915.
Found in miarolitic cavities in granite (Baveno, Italy); in alpine veins (Switzerland); in granite pegmatite (Heftetjern, Norway).
It is found associated with Quartz, orthoclase, muscovite, laumontite, albite (Baveno, Italy); quartz, hematite, calcite, chlorite, albite, fluorite (Switzerland); beryl.
The mineral was named to honor Alessandro E. Bazzi, discoverer of the material from Baveno, Italy.
Collections: Collector Favorites, Rare & Remarkable.