Yuksporite from the type locality, Mount Yukspor, Khibiny, Kola, Russian Federation. Specimen size 4 cm — Photo: Strickja · Public domain
Yuksporite
A rare double-chain inosilicate packing strontium, titanium and niobium — from Kola's Yukspor Mountain.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Yuksporite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the silicate class, with the chemical formula K₄(Ca,Na)₁₄(Sr,Ba)₂( ,Mn,Fe)(Ti,Nb)₄(O,OH)₄(Si₆O₁₇)₂(Si₂O₇)₃(H₂O,OH)₃.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system (space group P2_1/m).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 5; specific gravity 3.05; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Yks, grandfathered status — known before the IMA’s founding, named in 1923.
Found in veins in nepheline syenite in a differentiated alkalic massif (Khibiny massif, Russia).
It is found associated with Titanite, pectolite, astrophyllite, biotite, aegirine (Khibiny massif, Russia); aegirine, kalsilite, potassic feldspar, titanite, lamprophyllite.
The name refers to the localities near Mt. Yukspor, Kola Peninsula, Russia.