Ciprianiite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Ciprianiite
Formula:
Ca4[(Th,U),Ca]Σ2Al(Be0.5◻1.5)Σ2[B4Si4O22](OH)2
Formerly Ca4[(Th,U)(REE)]Al◻2(Si4B4O22)(OH,F)2; changed due to approval of the IMA 18-D proposal
Colour:
Brown
Lustre:
Vitreous
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Member of:
Name:
Named by G. Della Ventura, P. Bonazzi, R. Oberti, and L. Ottolini in 2002 in honor of Curzio Cipriani (26 November 1927, Florence, Italy - 6 December 2007, Florence, Italy), Professor of Mineralogy and Head of the Museum of Mineralogy (later the Musuem of Natural History), at the University of Florence, for his contribution to mineral systematics. He was on the Commission of Museums of the International Mineralogical Association for more than twenty years and he founded the journal Museologia Scientifica.
Type Locality:
Hellandite group mineral. REE is primarily Ce and Nd, with minor La, Pr and Sm.
First mineral to combine Th and B as essential components (the second is UM1995-43-SiO:BTh).
First mineral to combine Th and B as essential components (the second is UM1995-43-SiO:BTh).
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
10799
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:10799:2
IMA Classification of Ciprianiite
Approved
IMA Formula:
Ca4(Th4+Ca)Al(Be0.5◻1.5)[B4Si4O22](OH)2
Approval year:
2001
Classification of Ciprianiite
9.DK.20
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
K : Inosilicates with 5-periodic single chains
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
K : Inosilicates with 5-periodic single chains
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Cip | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Ciprianiite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Brown
Streak:
White
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Imperfect/Fair
Fair-good on {100}
Fair-good on {100}
Fracture:
Conchoidal
Optical Data of Ciprianiite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.68 nβ = 1.694 nγ = 1.708
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.028
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
Surface Relief:
Very High (positive)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
This shows the grain boundary and Becke line effect under plane-polarised
light, based on the contrast between this mineral's average refractive
index and the mounting medium. It does not take into account mineral
colouration.
In focus
Interference Figure:
This shows the idealized biaxial acute bisectrix (Bxa) interference figure
- the conoscopic view for a grain cut perpendicular to the acute bisectrix, using
this mineral's 2V. The two small white dots mark the melatopes - the points
where the two optic axes emerge - and are shown only when they fall within the
field of view. The coloured bands are isochromatics, and the dark bands are
isogyres.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
No measured or calculated 2V is on file for this mineral, so the value used here (89°) is estimated from its recorded refractive indices and optic sign, not from a direct 2V measurement.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
No measured or calculated 2V is on file for this mineral, so the value used here (89°) is estimated from its recorded refractive indices and optic sign, not from a direct 2V measurement.
Dispersion:
r > v strong
Chemistry of Ciprianiite
Mindat Formula:
Ca4[(Th,U),Ca]Σ2Al(Be0.5◻1.5)Σ2[B4Si4O22](OH)2
Formerly Ca4[(Th,U)(REE)]Al◻2(Si4B4O22)(OH,F)2; changed due to approval of the IMA 18-D proposal
Formerly Ca4[(Th,U)(REE)]Al◻2(Si4B4O22)(OH,F)2; changed due to approval of the IMA 18-D proposal
Crystallography of Ciprianiite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
P2/b
Setting:
P2/a
Cell Parameters:
a = 19.059(5) Å, b = 4.729(1) Å, c = 10.291(4) Å
β = 111.33(2)°
β = 111.33(2)°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 4.03 : 1 : 2.176
Unit Cell V:
863.99 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2
Twinning:
Frequent on {100}
Crystal Structure
Load
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Show
Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
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Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
Remove metal-metal sticks
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Perspective On | Perspective Off
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View
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
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Rotation
Stop | Start
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Labels
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0002819 | Ciprianiite | Della Ventura G, Bonazzi P, Oberti R, Ottolini L (2002) Ciprianiite and mottanaite-(Ce), two new minerals of the hellandite group from Latium (Italy) American Mineralogist 87 739-744 | ![]() | 2002 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.846 Å | (100) |
| 3.089 Å | (86) |
| 2.634 Å | (84) |
| 2.653 Å | (80) |
| 3.454 Å | (79) |
| 2.648 Å | (79) |
| 2.911 Å | (74) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 35 : Ultra-alkali and agpaitic igneous rocks |
Type Occurrence of Ciprianiite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Tabular crystals
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Natural History Museum, the University of Florence, Italy (2771/RI).
Geological Setting of Type Material:
miarolitic cavities and voids in alkali-syenitic pyroclastic ejecta
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Ciprianiite
Other Language Names for Ciprianiite
Relationship of Ciprianiite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of Hellandite Group:
| Ferri-hellandite-(Ce) | (Ca3Ce)Ce2Fe3+◻2B4Si4O22(OH)2 | Mon. 2/m : P2/b |
| Ferri-mottanaite-(Ce) | Ca4Ce2Fe3+(Be1.5◻0.5)[Si4B4O22]O2 | Mon. 2/m : P2/b |
| Hellandite-(Ce) | (Ca,REE)4Ce2Al◻2(B4Si4O22) (OH)2 | Mon. 2/m |
| Hellandite-(Y) | (Ca,REE)4Y2Al◻2(B4Si4O22) (OH)2 | Mon. 2/m : P2/b |
| Mottanaite-(Ce) | Ca4(Ce,REE)Σ2Al(Be1.5◻0.5)Σ2[B4Si4O22]O2 | Mon. 2/m |
| Tadzhikite-(Ce) | Ca4Ce3+2Ti◻2(B4Si4O22)(OH)2 | Mon. 2/m : P2/b |
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 6 photos of Ciprianiite associated with Sanidine | K(AlSi3O8) |
| 2 photos of Ciprianiite associated with Danburite | CaB2Si2O8 |
| 2 photos of Ciprianiite associated with Magnetite | Fe2+Fe3+2O4 |
| 1 photo of Ciprianiite associated with Vonsenite | Fe2+2Fe3+(BO3)O2 |
| 1 photo of Ciprianiite associated with 'Hellandite' | |
| 1 photo of Ciprianiite associated with Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 9.DK. | Ferrorhodonite | CaMn3Fe[Si5O15] |
| 9.DK. | Vittinkiite | MnMn3Mn[Si5O15] |
| 9.DK. | Ferri-hellandite-(Ce) | (Ca3Ce)Ce2Fe3+◻2B4Si4O22(OH)2 |
| 9.DK. | Shijiangshanite | Pb3CaAl(Si5O14)(OH)3 · 3H2O |
| 9.DK.05 | Nambulite | LiMn2+4Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Marsturite | NaCaMn3Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Natronambulite | (Na,Li)(Mn,Ca)4Si5O14OH |
| 9.DK.05 | Rhodonite | CaMn3Mn[Si5O15] |
| 9.DK.05 | Scandiobabingtonite | (Ca,Na)2(Fe2+,Mn)(Sc,Fe3+)Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Lithiomarsturite | LiCaMn3Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Manganbabingtonite | Ca2Mn2+Fe3+Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Fowlerite | (Mn2+,Zn,Ca)SiO3 |
| 9.DK.05 | Babingtonite | Ca2Fe2+Fe3+Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.10 | Santaclaraite | CaMn4[Si5O14OH](OH) · H2O |
| 9.DK.15 | Saneroite | NaMn2+5[Si5O14(OH)](VO3)(OH) |
| 9.DK.20 | Ferri-mottanaite-(Ce) | Ca4Ce2Fe3+(Be1.5◻0.5)[Si4B4O22]O2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Tadzhikite-(Ce) | Ca4Ce3+2Ti◻2(B4Si4O22)(OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | 'Hellandite-(Yb)' | (Ca,Y)4(Yb,Y)2(Al,Fe3+,Ti4+)(Be,Li)2[B4Si4O22](O,F,OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Mottanaite-(Ce) | Ca4(Ce,REE)Σ2Al(Be1.5◻0.5)Σ2[B4Si4O22]O2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Hellandite-(Y) | (Ca,REE)4Y2Al◻2(B4Si4O22) (OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Hellandite-(Ce) | (Ca,REE)4Ce2Al◻2(B4Si4O22) (OH)2 |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Ciprianiite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-10799.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Ciprianiite
Reference List:
Ventura, Giancarlo Della, Bonazzi, Paola, Oberti, Roberta, Ottolini, Luisa (2002) Ciprianiite and mottanaite-(Ce), two new minerals of the hellandite group from Latium (Italy) American Mineralogist, 87 (5) 739-744 doi:10.2138/am-2002-5-617
Oberti, Roberta, Ventura, Giancarlo Della, Ottolini, Luisa, Hawthorne, Frank C., Bonazzi, Paola (2002) Re-definition, nomenclature and crystal-chemistry of the hellandite group. American Mineralogist, 87 (5) 745-752 doi:10.2138/am-2002-5-618
Ventura, Giancarlo Della, Bonazzi, Paola, Oberti, Roberta, Ottolini, Luisa (2002) Ciprianiite and mottanaite-(Ce), two new minerals of the hellandite group from Latium (Italy) American Mineralogist, 87 (5) 739-744 doi:10.2138/am-2002-5-617
Mandarino, Joseph A. (2003) New minerals. The Canadian Mineralogist, 41 (3) 803-828 doi:10.2113/gscanmin.41.3.803
Oberti, Roberta, Langone, Antonio, Boiocchi, Massimo, Bernabè, Ezio, Hawthorne, Frank C. (2019) News from the hellandite group: the redefinition of mottanaite and ciprianiite and the new mineral description of ferri-mottanaite-(Ce), the first Fe3+-dominant hellandite. European Journal of Mineralogy, 31 (4) 799-806 doi:10.1127/ejm/2019/0031-2858
Localities for Ciprianiite
Showing 4 localities.
Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Italy | |
| Chukanov N. V. (2008) +1 other reference |
| Christophe Boutry collection | |
| Ventura et al. (2002) |
| Carlini et al. (2017) |
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The
Monte Cavalluccio, Campagnano di Roma, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio, Italy