Shortite Locality: Poudrette quarry (Demix quarry; Uni-Mix quarry; Desourdy quarry), Mont Saint-Hilaire , Rouville RCM, Montérégie , Québec , Canada ( Locality at mindat.org ) A very rich miniature with classically formed , gemmy, translucent yellow crystals of the extremely rare mineral Shortite, to 6 mm in size. This is not only a rarity, but a displayable rarity of unusual richness for the species. Ex Marcelle and Charles Weber Collection 3.0 x 2.9 x 1.6 cm — Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0
Shortite
A sodium-calcium carbonate found in well cuttings through Wyoming's Green River Formation.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Shortite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the carbonate class, with the chemical formula Na₂Ca₂(CO₃)₃.
It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system (space group Amm2).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 3–4.5; specific gravity 2.629; Vitreous luster; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Sot, grandfathered status — known before the IMA’s founding, named in 1939.
Found in saline dolomitic marl (Green River Formation, Wyoming and Utah, USA); in kimberlite dikes (Upper Canada mine, Canada); in carbonatite (Vuoriyarvi massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia).
It is found associated with Trona, nahcolite, pyrite (Green River Formation, Wyoming and Utah, USA); phlogopite, magnetite, apatite, perovskite, calcite, olivine (Upper Canada mine.
The mineral was named to honor Dr. Maxwell Naylor Short (1889–1952), Professor of Mineralogy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.