Sapphirine
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Sapphirine
Formula:
Mg4(Mg3Al9)O4[Si3Al9O36]
Colour:
Light blue, blue-gray, green, greenish gray, rarely yellow-brown or pink
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
7½
Specific Gravity:
3.4 - 3.5
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Member of:
Name:
In allusion to its sapphire-like blue color. First collected by K.L. Giesecke at the old harbour of Fiskenæsset, West Greenland on 5 August 1809. He called it "blauer Diamantspath (saphirin)". Later Stromeyer (1819, 1821) gave the first description of Giesecke’s mineral. He later changed the spelling of the name to the current one with a double p: sapphirine.
Several polytypes are known: -2M and -1A are the most common ones. - 3A, -4M and -5A are found as domains ranging from less than 100 Å to several thousand Å thick (Christy and Putnis 1988).
May be confused with serendibite.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Sapphirine.
May be confused with serendibite.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Sapphirine.Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3531
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3531:2
IMA Classification of Sapphirine
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
First published:
1819
Classification of Sapphirine
9.DH.45
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
H : Inosilicates with 4-periodic single chains, Si4O12
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
H : Inosilicates with 4-periodic single chains, Si4O12
69.2.1b.1
69 : INOSILICATES Chains with Side Branches or Loops
2 : Chains with Side Branches or Loops with P>2
69 : INOSILICATES Chains with Side Branches or Loops
2 : Chains with Side Branches or Loops with P>2
16.7.2
16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
7 : Aluminosilicates of Mg
16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
7 : Aluminosilicates of Mg
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Spr | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
| Spr | Kretz (1983) | Kretz, R. (1983) Symbols of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 68, 277–279. |
| Spr | Siivolam & Schmid (2007) | Siivolam, J. and Schmid, R. (2007) Recommendations by the IUGS Subcommission on the Systematics of Metamorphic Rocks: List of mineral abbreviations. Web-version 01.02.07. IUGS Commission on the Systematics in Petrology. download |
| Spr | Whitney & Evans (2010) | Whitney, D.L. and Evans, B.W. (2010) Abbreviations for names of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 95, 185–187 doi:10.2138/am.2010.3371 |
| Spr | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download |
Physical Properties of Sapphirine
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Light blue, blue-gray, green, greenish gray, rarely yellow-brown or pink
Streak:
Colourless
Hardness:
7½ on Mohs scale
Cleavage:
Poor/Indistinct
{100}, {001}, and {010}
{100}, {001}, and {010}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Sub-Conchoidal
Density:
3.4 - 3.5 g/cm3 (Measured)
Optical Data of Sapphirine
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.701 - 1.729 nβ = 1.703 - 1.732 nγ = 1.705 - 1.734
2V:
Measured: 51° to 69°, Calculated: 78° to 88°
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.004 - 0.005
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.
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.
Dispersion:
r < v
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
X = pinkish buff, yellowish, light smoky brown, colourless
Y = sky-blue, sapphire-blue, greenish blue
Z = dark sky-blue, dark sapphire-blue
Y = sky-blue, sapphire-blue, greenish blue
Z = dark sky-blue, dark sapphire-blue
Chemistry of Sapphirine
Mindat Formula:
Mg4(Mg3Al9)O4[Si3Al9O36]
Element Weights:
Elements listed:
Chemical Analysis
Oxide wt%:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SiO2 | 14.6 % | 9.61 % | 12.10 % |
| Al2O3 | 58.7 % | 66.50 % | 66.02 % |
| TiO2 | 0.1 % | 0.01 % | 0.06 % |
| FeO(tot) | 9.2 % | ||
| MgO | 16.9 % | 14.71 % | 16.26 % |
| MnO | 0.1 % | 0.05 % | 0.20 % |
| Cr2O3 | 0.02 % | ||
| FeO | 8.11 % | ||
| CaO | 0.08 % | ||
| Na2O | 0.01 % | 0.02 % | |
| K2O | |||
| V2O3 | 0.05 % | ||
| Sc2O3 | 0.02 % | ||
| Fe2O3* | 0.62 % | ||
| FeO* | 5.69 % | ||
| NiO | 0.01 % | ||
| SrO | 0.01 % | ||
| Total: | 99.6 % | 99.08 % | 101.08 % |
wt%
| 4 | |
|---|---|
| Si | 4.02 % |
| Al | 27.19 % |
| Fe | 4.22 % |
| Mg | 5.71 % |
| O | 58.86 % |
| Total: | 100 % |
Empirical formulas:
| Sample ID | Empirical Formula |
|---|---|
| 3 | (Mg2.84Fe2+1.11Mn2+0.04Na0.01)(Mg2.83Al9.03Fe3+0.11Ti0.01)O4[Si2.83Al9.17O36] |
Sample references:
| ID | Locality | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sapphirine locality, Ivesdalsfjellet, Vikeså, Bjerkreim, Rogaland, Norway | Microprobe analyses | |
| 2 | Danmarkshavn eclogites, Danmarkshavn, Northeast Greenland National Park, Greenland | Retrograde sapphirine from a sapphirine+spinel+plagioclase symplectite after kyanite in a kyanite-eclogite. EMPA analysis. | |
| 3 | Toyofuku, Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan | small cluster of parallel prismatic sapphirine crystals, with biotite, accompanying corundum, spinel, and a fine-grained sericite+margarite alteration of what may have been pre-existing cordierite. *All Fe initially measured as Fe2+; Fe3+ (and Fe2O3) calculated from charge balance. | |
| 4 | Sapphirine occurrence, Grønnøya, Meløy, Nordland, Norway | Microbrobe. O determined by substraction |
Crystallography of Sapphirine
Polytype:
Formula:
Crystal System:
Class (H-M)
Space Group:
Space Group Setting:
Cell Parameters:
Ratio:
Unit Cell Volume (calc):
Z:
Comment:
| Sapphirine-1A | Sapphirine-2M |
|---|---|
| (Mg,Al,Fe2+)8[(Al,Si,Fe3+)6O18]O2 | Mg4(Mg3Al9)O4[Si3Al9O36] |
| Triclinic | Monoclinic |
| 1 - Pinacoidal | 2/m - Prismatic |
| P1 | P21/b |
| P21/c | |
| a = 10.04 Å, b = 10.38 Å, c = 8.65 Å α = 107.6°, β = 95.1°, γ = 123.9° | a = 11.27 Å, b = 14.4 Å, c = 9.93 Å β = 125.5° |
| a:b:c = 0.967 : 1 : 0.833 | a:b:c = 0.783 : 1 : 0.69 |
| V 674.36 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell) | V 1312 ų |
| 2 | 4 |
| Merlino (1980) | Unit cell from Moore (1969), for 2M polytype |
Crystal Structure
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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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0010820 | Sapphirine | Merlino S (1980) Crystal structure of sapphirine-1Tc Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 151 91-100 | ![]() | 1980 | Wilson Lake, Labrador, Canada | 0 | 293 |
| 0012322 | Sapphirine | Higgins J B, Ribbe P H (1979) A neutron and x-ray diffraction study of (Mg-Al)VI and (Si-Al)IV ordering monoclinic sapphirine Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 68 357-368 | 1979 | Bekily, Madagasgar | 0 | 293 | |
| 0012321 | Sapphirine | Higgins J B, Ribbe P H (1979) A neutron and x-ray diffraction study of (Mg-Al)VI and (Si-Al)IV ordering monoclinic sapphirine Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 68 357-368 | 1979 | Bekily, Madagasgar | 0 | 293 | |
| 0006761 | Sapphirine | Barbier J (1998) Crystal structures of sapphirine and surinamite analogues in the MgO-Ga2O3-GeO2 system European Journal of Mineralogy 10 1283-1293 | 1998 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0000187 | Sapphirine | Moore P B (1969) The crystal structure of sapphirine American Mineralogist 54 31-49 | ![]() | 1969 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Loading XRD data...
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| - Å | () |
Comments:
The X-ray powder diffraction data is presented on the polytype pages.
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 1: Primary nebular phases | 4.567-4.561 |
| 4 : Primary chondrule phases | 4.566–4.561 |
| Near-surface Processes | |
| 23 : Subaerial aqueous alteration by non-redox-sensitive fluids (see also #47) | |
| High-? alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 31 : Thermally altered carbonate, phosphate, and iron formations | |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 35 : Ultra-alkali and agpaitic igneous rocks | |
| Stage 5: Initiation of plate tectonics | <3.5-2.5 |
| 40 : Regional metamorphism (greenschist, amphibolite, granulite facies) | |
| Stage 10a: Neoproterozoic oxygenation/terrestrial biosphere | <0.6 |
| 48 : Soil leaching zone minerals | <0.6 |
Geological Setting:
In high-temperature metamorphic rocks or xenoliths with abundant aluminium and magnesium and low silicon. May occur as a primary magmatic mineral in subsilicic rocks.
Type Occurrence of Sapphirine
Synonyms of Sapphirine
Other Language Names for Sapphirine
Varieties of Sapphirine
| Beryllium-bearing Sapphirine | A beryllium-bearing variety of sapphirine. Composition range may overlap with that of khmaralite. |
| Chromium-bearing Sapphirine | May contain as much as 5.5 wt.% Cr2O3. |
Relationship of Sapphirine to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of Sapphirine Group:
| Addibischoffite | Ca2Al6Al6O20 | Tric. 1 : P1 |
| Khmaralite | (Mg,Al,Fe)16[(Al,Si,Be)12O36]O4 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
| Louisfuchsite | Ca2(Mg4Ti2)(Al4Si2)O20 | Tric. 1 : P1 |
| 'UM2002-52-SiO:AlFeMg' | Mg4(Mg1.5Fe+20.3Fe+31.6Al8.5)O4[Si1.7Al10.3O36] | |
| Warkite | Ca2Sc6Al6O20 | Tric. 1 : P1 |
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 74 photos of Sapphirine associated with Phlogopite | KMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| 56 photos of Sapphirine associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
| 52 photos of Sapphirine associated with Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
| 7 photos of Sapphirine associated with 'Scapolite' | |
| 6 photos of Sapphirine associated with Gedrite | ◻Mg2(Mg3Al2)(Al2Si6O22)(OH)2 |
| 3 photos of Sapphirine associated with Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| 2 photos of Sapphirine associated with Cordierite | Mg2Al4Si5O18 |
| 2 photos of Sapphirine associated with Spinel | MgAl2O4 |
| 2 photos of Sapphirine associated with Corundum | Al2O3 |
| 2 photos of Sapphirine associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 9.DH. | Devilliersite | Ca4Ca2Fe3+10O4[(Fe3+10Si2)O36] |
| 9.DH. | 'Gageite-2M' | (Mn,Mg,Zn)42Si16O54(OH)40 |
| 9.DH. | Bavsiite | Ba2V2O2[Si4O12] |
| 9.DH. | Yuzuxiangite | Sr3Fe3+(Si2O6)2(OH) · 3H2O |
| 9.DH. | Louisfuchsite | Ca2(Mg4Ti2)(Al4Si2)O20 |
| 9.DH.05 | Leucophanite | NaCaBeSi2O6F |
| 9.DH.10 | Ohmilite | Sr3(Ti,Fe3+)(Si4O12)(O,OH) · 2-3H2O |
| 9.DH.15 | Haradaite | SrVSi2O7 |
| 9.DH.15 | Suzukiite | BaVSi2O7 |
| 9.DH.20 | Shcherbakovite | (K,Ba)KNa(Ti,Nb)2(Si4O12)O2 |
| 9.DH.20 | Batisite | BaNaNaTi2(Si4O12)O2 |
| 9.DH.20 | Noonkanbahite | BaKNaTi2(Si4O12)O2 |
| 9.DH.25 | Taikanite | Sr3BaMn2+2(Si4O12)O2 |
| 9.DH.30 | Krauskopfite | BaSi2O5 · 3H2O |
| 9.DH.35 | Gageite | Mn21(Si4O12)2O3(OH)20 |
| 9.DH.35 | Balangeroite | (Mg,Fe2+,Fe3+,Mn2+)42Si16O54(OH)40 |
| 9.DH.40 | Kuratite | Ca2(Fe2+5Ti)O2[Si4Al2O18] |
| 9.DH.40 | Aenigmatite | Na4[Fe2+10Ti2]O4[Si12O36] |
| 9.DH.40 | Dorrite | Ca4(Mg3Fe3+9)O4(Si3Al8Fe3+O36) |
| 9.DH.40 | Serendibite | Ca4[Mg6Al6]O4[Si6B3Al3O36] |
| 9.DH.40 | Rhönite | Ca4[Mg8Fe3+2Ti2]O4[Si6Al6O36] |
| 9.DH.40 | Khesinite | Ca4(Mg3Fe3+9)O4(Fe3+9Si3)O36 |
| 9.DH.40 | 'UM1991-29-SiO:FeMgNa' | Na4(Mg5Fe3+7)O4[Si9Fe3+3O36] |
| 9.DH.40 | Høgtuvaite | Ca4[Fe2+6Fe3+6]O4[Si8Be2Al2O36] |
| 9.DH.40 | 'Leucorhönite' | Ca2(Mg,Fe3+,Al)6(Si,Al)6O20 |
| 9.DH.40 | Welshite | Ca4Mg9Sb3O4[Si6Be3AlFe2O36] |
| 9.DH.40 | Wilkinsonite | Na2Fe2+4Fe3+2(Si6O18)O2 |
| 9.DH.40 | Krinovite | Na2Mg4Cr3+2(Si6O18)O2 |
| 9.DH.40 | Makarochkinite | (Ca,Na)4[Fe2+8Fe3+2Ti2]O4[Si8Be2Al2O36] |
| 9.DH.50 | Khmaralite | (Mg,Al,Fe)16[(Al,Si,Be)12O36]O4 |
| 9.DH.55 | 'UM1988-26-SiO:AlMg' | Mg4Al2O[Si3Al2O15] |
| 9.DH.55 | Surinamite | (Mg,Fe)3Al4BeSi3O16 |
| 9.DH.60 | Deerite | Fe2+6Fe3+3(Si6O17)O3(OH)5 |
| 9.DH.65 | Taneyamalite | (Na,Ca)Mn2+12(Si,Al)12(O,OH)44 |
| 9.DH.65 | Howieite | Na(Fe2+,Fe3+,Al,Mg)12(Si6O17)2(O,OH)10 |
| 9.DH.70 | Johninnesite | Na2Mn2+9Mg7(OH)8[AsO4]2[Si6O17]2 |
| 9.DH.75 | Agrellite | NaCa2Si4O10F |
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.
Sapphirine in petrology
An essential component of rock names highlighted in red, an accessory component in rock names highlighted in green.
Internet Links for Sapphirine
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3531.html
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References for Sapphirine
Reference List:
Ussing, Ν. V. (1889) XXXIV. Untersuchungen der Mineralien von Fiskernäs in Grönland. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie - Crystalline Materials, 15 (1). 596-615 doi:10.1524/zkri.1889.15.1.596p.600
Lacroix, Alfred, Gramont, Arnaud de (1921) Sur la recherche spectrale du bore et sur sa présence dans quelques silico˗aluminates naturels. Bulletin de Minéralogie, 44 (4) 67-77 doi:10.3406/bulmi.1921.3758
Mountain, Edgar D. (1939) Sapphirine crystals from Blinkwater, Transvaal. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 25 (164) 277-282 doi:10.1180/minmag.1939.025.164.07
Foster, Wilfrid R. (1950) Synthetic Sapphirine and Its Stability Relations in the System MgO-Al2O3-SiO2. The Journal of Geology, 58 (2) 135-151 doi:10.1086/625712
McKie, Duncan (1963) Order-disorder in sapphirine. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 33 (263) 635-645 doi:10.1180/minmag.1963.033.263.02
Merlino, Stefano (1973) Polymorphism in sapphirine. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 41 (1) 23-29 doi:10.1007/bf00377649[Abstract in American Mineralogist (1974): 59: 632]
Schreyer, Werner, Abraham, Kurt (1975) Peraluminous sapphirine as a metastable reaction product in kyanite—gedrite—talc schist from Sar e Sang, Afghanistan. Mineralogical Magazine, 40 (310) 171-180 doi:10.1180/minmag.1975.040.310.06
Ackermand, D., Seifert, F., Schreyer, W. (1975) Instability of sapphirine at high pressures. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 50 (2) 79-92 doi:10.1007/bf00373328
Higgins, John B., Ribbe, Paul H. (1979) Sapphirine II: A neutron and X-ray diffraction study of (Mg-Al)VI and (Al-Si)IV ordering in monoclinic sapphirine. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 68 (4). 357-368 doi:10.1007/bf01164520
Higgins, John B., Ribbe, Paul H., Herd, Richard K. (1979) Sapphirine I: Crystal chemical contributions. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 68 (4). 349-356 doi:10.1007/bf01164519
Grew, Edward S. (1980) Sapphirine + quartz association from Archean rocks in Enderby Land, Antarctica. American Mineralogist, 65 (9-10) 821-836
Merlino, Stefano (1980) Crystal structure of sapphirine-lTc. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 151 (1-2). 91-100 doi:10.1524/zkri.1980.151.1-2.91
Grew, Edward S. (1983) A grandidierite-sapphirine association from India. Mineralogical Magazine, 47 (344) 401-403 doi:10.1180/minmag.1983.047.344.20
Griffin, W. L., O'Reilly, S. Y. (1986) Mantle-derived sapphirine. Mineralogical Magazine, 50 (358) 635-640 doi:10.1180/minmag.1986.050.358.08
Warren, R. G., Hensen, B. J. (1987) Peraluminous sapphirine from the Aileron district, Arunta Block, central Australia. Mineralogical Magazine, 51 (361) 409-415 doi:10.1180/minmag.1987.051.361.07
ACKERMAND, D., HERD, R.K., REINHARDT, M., WINDLEY, B.F. (1987) Sapphirine parageneses from the Caraiba complex, Bahia, Brazil: the influence of Fe2+-Fe3+ distribution on the stability of sapphirine in natural assemblages. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 5 (3) 323-339 doi:10.1111/j.1525-1314.1987.tb00388.x
Christy, Andrew G., Putnis, Andrew (1988) Planar and line defects in the sapphirine polytypes. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 15 (6) 548-558 doi:10.1007/bf00311025(Abstract in American Mineralogist (1990): 75: 937.)
Christy, Andrew G. (1988) A new 2c superstructure in beryllian sapphirine from Casey Bay, Enderby Land, Antarctica. American Mineralogist, 73 (9-10) 1134-1137
Christy, Andrew G. (1989) A short-range interaction model for polytypism and planar defect placement in sapphirine. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 16 (4). 343-351 doi:10.1007/bf00199554
Christy, Andrew G. (1989) The stability of sapphirine + clinopyroxene: implications for phase relations in the CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 system under deep-crustal and upper mantle conditions. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 102 (4) 422-428 doi:10.1007/bf00371085
Christy, Andrew G. (1989) The effect of composition, temperature and pressure on the stability of the 1Tc and 2M polytypes of sapphirine. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 103 (2) 203-215 doi:10.1007/bf00378506
SENGUPTA, P., DASGUPTA, S., BHATTACHARYA, P. K., FUKUOKA, M., CHAKRABORTI, S., BHOWMICK, S. (1990) Petro-tectonic Imprints in the Sapphirine Granulites from Anantagiri, Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt, India. Journal of Petrology, 31 (5) 971-996 doi:10.1093/petrology/31.5.971
S. Grew, Edward, G. Yates, Martin, M. Romanenko, Igor, G. Christy, Andrew, H. Swihart, George (1992) Calcian, borian sapphirine from the serendibite deposit at Johnsburg, N.Y., USA. European Journal of Mineralogy, 4 (3) 475-486 doi:10.1127/ejm/4/3/0475
GREW, E. S., PERTSEV, N. N., YATES, M. G., CHRISTY, A. G., MARQUEZ, N., CHERNOSKY, J. V. (1994) Sapphirine+Forsterite and Sapphirine+Humite-Group Minerals in an Ultra-Magnesian Lens from Kuhi-lal, SW Pamirs, Tajikistan: Are these Assemblages Forbidden? Journal of Petrology, 35 (5). 1275-1293 doi:10.1093/petrology/35.5.1275
Harley, Simon L., Christy, Andrew G. (1995) Titanium-bearing sapphirine in a partially melted aluminous granulite xenolith, Vestfold Hills, Antarctica: geological and mineralogical implications. European Journal of Mineralogy, 7 (3). 637-653 doi:10.1127/ejm/7/3/0637
Möller, C. (1999) Sapphirine in SW Sweden: a record of Sveconorwegian (-Grenvillian) late-orogenic tectonic exhumation. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 17 (1). 127-141 doi:10.1046/j.1525-1314.1999.00184.x
Harley, Simon L., Motoyoshi, Y. (2000) Al zoning in orthopyroxene in a sapphirine quartzite: evidence for >1120 °C UHT metamorphism in the Napier Complex, Antarctica, and implications for the entropy of sapphirine. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 138 (4) 293-307 doi:10.1007/s004100050564
Christy, A.G., Tabira, Y., Hölscher, A., Grew, E.S., Schreyer, W. (2002) Synthesis of beryllian sapphirine in the system MgO-BeO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O and comparison with naturally occurring beryllian sapphirine and khmaralite. Part 1: Experiments, TEM, and XRD. American Mineralogist, 87 (8) 1104-1112 doi:10.2138/am-2002-8-907
Christy, A.G., Grew, E.S. (2004) Synthesis of beryllian sapphirine in the system MgO-BeO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O and comparison with naturally occurring beryllian sapphirine and khmaralite, Part 2: A chemographic study of Be content as a function of P, T, assemblage and FeMg–1 exchange. American Mineralogist, 89 (2-3). 327-338 doi:10.2138/am-2004-2-311
KOSHIMOTO, Saori, TSUNOGAE, Toshiaki, SANTOSH, M. (2004) Sapphirine and corundum bearing ultrahigh temperature rocks from the Palghat-Cauvery Shear System, southern India. Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences, 99 (5) 298-310 doi:10.2465/jmps.99.298
Das, Suman, Bhattacharya, Abhijit, Raith, Michael M., Bhadra, Subhadip, Banerjee, Manua (2006) Aluminous sapphirine granulites from the Eastern Ghats Belt (India): Phase relations and relevance to counterclockwise P-T history. European Journal of Mineralogy, 18 (1) 35-48 doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2006/0018-0035
GREW, EDWARD S., YATES, MARTIN G., SHEARER, CHARLES K., HAGERTY, JUSTIN J., SHERATON, JOHN W., SANDIFORD, MICHAEL (2006) Beryllium and Other Trace Elements in Paragneisses and Anatectic Veins of the Ultrahigh-Temperature Napier Complex, Enderby Land, East Antarctica: the Role of Sapphirine. Journal of Petrology, 47 (5) 859-882 doi:10.1093/petrology/egi098
Localities for Sapphirine
Showing 189 localities.
Locality List
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All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
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Morafeno thorianite deposit, Tranomaro, Amboasary Sud District, Anosy, Madagascar