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Silicate

Canasite

K₃Na₃Ca₅Si₁₂O₃₀(OH)₄
Crystal systemMonoclinic
ClassSilicate
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Canasite specimen

Canasite Locality: Kirovskii apatite mine (Kirovsky Mine; Kirov Mine), Kukisvumchorr Mt, Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region, Russia Yellow 7 mm grain of Canasite in matrix. Specimen and photo Leon Hupperichs. — Photo: Leon Hupperichs · CC BY-SA 3.0

Canasite

A calcium-sodium silicate named for its composition, approved as a species in 1959.

Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Canasite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the silicate class, with the chemical formula K₃Na₃Ca₅Si₁₂O₃₀(OH)₄.

It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system (space group Cm).

Key properties: specific gravity 2.707; White streak; Vitreous luster; optically biaxial.

IMA symbol Cns, IMA status: approved, named in 1959.

Found in pegmatites in a differentiated alkalic massif (Khibiny massif, Russia); in charoitic rocks (Murun massif, Russia).

It is found associated with Fenaksite, lamprophyllite, titanite, eudialyte, nepheline, pyroxene, orthoclase (Khibiny massif, Russia); tinaksite, miserite, charoite (Murun massif, Russia).

The name refers to CAlcium, sodium, NAtrium, and SIlicon in the chemical composition.

Index entry. This entry combines official IMA/RRUFF species data with published physical-property data and a Wikipedia introduction — a full written entry hasn’t been published yet. Browse more C minerals or help write this entry.