Dark brown/copper red khesinite (IMA 2014-033) associated to alumoakermanite from Wyoming (Durham Range, Reno Junction, Wright, Campbell County, Wyoming, United States of America). Analyzed. Ex. Erich Laskowski collection (USA). — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY 4.0
Khesinite
Khesinite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the silicate class, with the chemical formula Ca₄(Mg₂Fe³⁺₁₀)O₄(Fe³⁺₁₀Si₂)O₃₆.
It crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system (space group P-1). It is a member of the Sapphirine structural group.
Key properties: Mohs hardness 6; specific gravity 4.097; Semi-metallic luster.
IMA symbol Khe, IMA status: approved, named in 2014.
Formed from melt and as reaction rims in thin veins of paralava within fine-grained gehlenite rocks (pyrometamorphic hornfels).
It is found associated with Gehlenite, rankinite, schorlomite, pseudowollastonite, Ni-bearing magnesioferrite, Ni-bearing magnesioferrite, andradite, barioferrite.
The mineral was named to honor Azerbaijanian and Israeli geophysicist Boris Emmanuilovich Khesin (1932-2010), after 1991, at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.