Zektzerite Locality: Washington Pass , Golden Horn Batholith, Okanogan County , Washington , USA ( Locality at mindat.org ) Size: thumbnail, 11.1 x 6 mm , 1.62 carats Zektzerite A very rare, fine, gem cut from type locality material collected at Washington Pass sometime after the original find. It is one of the finest cut stones, surely - certainly the best tha tany of my contacts have seen. it is a large, very nicely colored, pink/lavender oval zektzerite that is 1.62 carats and 11.1 x 6 mm size. i obtained a small stash collected about 12 years ago from a private collector. the best of his crystals have more color than any i have seen in the past which came from the famous find by Jack Zektzer. Only one was really a cutter , and it turned out well. — Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0
Zektzerite
A lithium-sodium-zirconium silicate found in 1966 in miarolitic cavities of Washington's Golden Horn batholith.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Zektzerite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the silicate class, with the chemical formula NaLiZrSi₆O₁₅.
It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system (space group Cmca).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 6; specific gravity 2.79; White streak; Vitreous, pearly on {100} luster; refractive index 1.583; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Zek, IMA status: approved, named in 1976.
Rarely in miarolitic cavities in a riebeckite granite (Washington Pass, Washington, USA).
It is found associated with Quartz, microcline, aegirine, riebeckite, astrophyllite, zircon, elpidite.
The name refers to Jack Zektzer (1936{), of Seattle, Washington, USA, who presented the mineral for study.