White single crystal of the rare borate mineral suanite from China (Wengquan'gou Boron Deposit, Fengcheng County, Dandong Prefecture, Liaoning Province, China Peoples Republic). Ex Vandenbroucke Museum collection from Waregem, Belgium. — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY-SA 4.0
Suanite
A magnesium borate described in 1953 from North Korea's Hol Kol gold-copper skarn.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Suanite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the borate class, with the chemical formula Mg₂B₂O₅.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system (space group P2_1/c).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 5.5; specific gravity 2.91; Silky to pearly luster; refractive index 1.635; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Sua, IMA status: approved, named in 1953.
Found in a contact metasomatic hydrothermal boron deposit in diopside–clinohumite– dolomite–calcite skarn (Hol Kol mine, North Korea).
It is found associated with Kotoite, sakhaite, ludwigite, szaibélyite, clinohumite, forsterite, apatite, spinel, calcite.
The name refers to Suan Co., the North Korean region from which the first specimens were collected.