Vote for your favorite mineral in #MinCup26! - Azurite vs. Smithsonite
It's carbonate-vs-carbonate to kick off Mineral Cup 2026 with copper-rich Azurite against zinc-rich Smithsonite.
Log InRegister
Quick Links : The Mindat ManualThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMindat Newsletter [Free Download]
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic TimeExplore Fossils
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryMineral Visual ExplorerAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral QuizTime Machine
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorPhoto Colour ExplorerNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

Callainite

This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
Colour:
Apple-green to emerald green, spotted or veined with whitish or bluish.
Name:
Named in the supposed identity of this material with the Callais of Pliny.
A name applied to the substance of neolithic beads discovered at various localities in Brittany, originally in the dolmens at Mané-er-H'roeck in Lockmariaquer.

The mean index of refraction (1.576) and other physical properties are similar to those of microcrystalline variscite. Probably Variscite.

McConnell (1942) writes, however: "Callainite, from Montebras, France, produces a pattern that can be satisfactorily accounted for only by assuming a mixture of wavellite and turquoise."


Hide all sections | Show all sections

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
31971
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:31971:9

Similar NamesHide

KaliniteA valid IMA mineral speciesKAl(SO4)2 · 11H2O
KaoliniteA valid IMA mineral speciesAl2(Si2O5)(OH)4
KilliniteA synonym of IlliteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2

Physical Properties of CallainiteHide

Colour:
Apple-green to emerald green, spotted or veined with whitish or bluish.

Crystallography of CallainiteHide

Morphology:
Massive, wax-like

Synonyms of CallainiteHide

Other Language Names for CallainiteHide

German:Callainit
Simplified Chinese:绿磷铝石

Other InformationHide

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 CallainiteHide

References for CallainiteHide

Localities for CallainiteHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListHide

- 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). Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
France
 
  • Brittany
    • Morbihan
      • Lorient
        • Locmariaquer
Palache et al. (1951)
Quick NavTopUnique IdentifiersSimilar NamesPhysical Properties Crystallography SynonymsOther LanguagesOther InformationInternet Links References Localities Locality List
 
and/or  
Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
Content on this site may not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without prior written permission - see our Terms & Conditions.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: September 1, 2026 13:22:16 Page updated: December 30, 2025 14:48:53
Go to top of page