Description
PHENAKITE SPECIMEN
This is the raw phenakite specimen with microcline, calcite, fluorite and pyrite. Dimensions: 3.1 x 1.9 x 1.9″ (8 x 4.8 x 4.8cm). Weight – 7.4oz (211 grams). Origin: Russia, Buryatia.
Some information about phenakite:
Phenakite or phenacite is a fairly rare nesosilicate mineral consisting of beryllium orthosilicate, Be2SiO4. Occasionally used as a gemstone, phenakite occurs as isolated crystals.There is no cleavage, and the fracture is conchoidal.
The Mohs hardness is high, being 7.5 – 8; the specific gravity is 2.96. The crystals are sometimes perfectly colorless and transparent, but more often they are greyish or yellowish and only translucent; occasionally they pale rose-red.
Its name comes from Ancient Greek meaning “deceiver” due to its close visual similarity to quartz, named by Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld in 1833.
