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Oxides & Hydroxide

Loparite-(Ce)

(Na,Ce,Sr)(Ce,Th)(Ti,Nb)₂O₆
Crystal systemTetragonal
ClassOxides & Hydroxide
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Loparite-(Ce) specimen

Loparite-(Ce) Locality: N'orkpakhk (Niorkpakhk; Nyorkpukhk; N'Yourpakhk) Mt, Khibiny Massif , Kola Peninsula , Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region , Russia ( Locality at mindat.org ) Size: 3.1 x 2.4 x 2 cm. A relatively large, sharp, 6 mm, twinned loparite crystal from what is certainly the most significant modern locale for the species. — Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0

Loparite-(Ce)

Loparite-(Ce) is a granular, brittle oxide mineral of the perovskite class. It is black to dark grey and may appear grey to white in reflected light on polished thin section with reddish brown internal reflections. It has the chemical formula of (Ce,Na,Ca)(Ti,Nb)O3. Nioboloparite is a variation of loparite-(Ce) containing niobium. Loparite occurs as a primary phase in nepheline syenite intrusions and pegmatites. It is also found replacing perovskite in carbonatites. Loparite was first described for an occurrence in the Khibiny and Lovozero massifs, Kola Peninsula in northern Russia.

Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Loparite-(Ce) is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the oxides & hydroxide class, with the chemical formula (Na,Ce,Sr)(Ce,Th)(Ti,Nb)₂O₆.

It crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system (space group Pm3m). It is a member of the Perovskite structural group.

IMA symbol Lop-Ce, IMA status: approved, named in 1923.

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 L minerals or help write this entry.