Outstanding colorless crystals of the very rare zirconium mineral georgechaoite from the type locality in New Mexico (Wind Mountain, Cornudas Mountains, Otero County, New Mexico, United States of America) and one of the very few known localities worldwide. Ex Vandenbroucke Museum collection from Waregem, Belgium. — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY-SA 4.0
Georgechaoite
Georgechaoite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the silicate class, with the chemical formula KNaZrSi₃O₉·2H₂O.
It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system (space group P2_1nb). It is a member of the Gaidonnayite structural group.
Key properties: Mohs hardness 5; specific gravity 2.7; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Gch, IMA status: approved, named in 1984.
Found in miarolitic cavities in analcime-bearing nepheline syenite (Wind Mountain, New Mexico, USA); in a carbonatite, in dolomitic veinlets cutting metasomatically altered pyroxenites.
It is found associated with Microcline, nepheline, aegirine, catapleiite, monazite, chlorite (Wind Mountain, New Mexico, USA); dolomite, strontianite, phlogopite, barite, komkovite.
The mineral was named to honor Professor George Y. Chao, of Carleton University, Toronto, Canada, for his studies of zirconium silicates.