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Sogdianite

A valid IMA mineral species
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About SogdianiteHide

05790190017271926814527.jpg
Sogdiana
Formula:
K◻2Zr2Li3[Si12O30]
Colour:
Violet, pale pink
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
7
Specific Gravity:
2.90
Crystal System:
Hexagonal
Member of:
Name:
Named after the ancient region of Sogdia/Sogdiana that at different times included territory located in present-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It existed from the 6th century BC to the 11th century AD. The type locality is in this region.
Osumilite Group. The Zr analogue of berezanskite and brannockite. The only mineral with dominant K, Li and Zr combined.




Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
3708
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3708:8

IMA Classification of SogdianiteHide

Classification of SogdianiteHide

9.CM.05

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
C : Cyclosilicates
M : [Si6O18]12- 6-membered double rings (sechser-Doppelringe)
63.2.1a.13

63 : CYCLOSILICATES Condensed Rings
2 : Condensed Rings (Milarite - Osumilite group)
16.1.16

16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
1 : Aluminosilicates of Li

Mineral SymbolsHide

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.

SymbolSourceReference for Standard
SogIMA–CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43
SogThe 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 SogdianiteHide

Vitreous
Transparency:
Translucent
Colour:
Violet, pale pink
Hardness:
Cleavage:
Perfect
{0001}
Density:
2.90 g/cm3 (Measured)    

Optical Data of SogdianiteHide

Type:
Uniaxial (-)
RI values:
nω = 1.608 nε = 1.606
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.002
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.

Surface Relief:
High (positive)
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 uniaxial interference figure - the conoscopic (convergent-light, Bertrand-lens-in) view, for a grain cut with the optic axis centred and vertical. The coloured rings are isochromatics, computed with the same physics as the Michel-Lévy bar above; the dark cross is the isogyre.

For a genuinely uniaxial mineral viewed this way, that cross stays perfectly stationary if you rotate the stage - unlike a biaxial mineral, where it splits apart on rotation. That invariance is itself the standard diagnostic test for telling uniaxial and biaxial minerals apart at the microscope.

Chemistry of SogdianiteHide

Mindat Formula:
K◻2Zr2Li3[Si12O30]
Element Weights:
Element% weight
O45.308 %
Si31.814 %
Zr17.222 %
K3.691 %
Li1.966 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.
O
Si
Zr
K
Li
Common Impurities:
Al,Mn,Mg,Ba

Crystallography of SogdianiteHide

Crystal System:
Hexagonal
Class (H-M):
6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) - Dihexagonal Dipyramidal
Space Group:
P6/mcc
Setting:
P6/mcc
Cell Parameters:
a = 10.08 Å, c = 14.24 Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 1.413
Unit Cell V:
1,253.03 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2

Crystal StructureHide

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IDSpeciesReferenceLinkYearLocalityPressure (GPa)Temp (K)
0005692SogdianiteSokolova E V, Hawthorne F C, Pautov L A (2000) The crystal chemistry of Li-bearing minerals with the milarite-type structure: The crystal structure of end-member sogdianite The Canadian Mineralogist 38 853-8592000Dara-i-Pioz, Tadjikistan0293
0002224SogdianiteCooper M A, Hawthorne F C, Grew E S (1999) The crystal chemistry of sogdianite, a milarite-group mineral American Mineralogist 84 764-7681999Dara-i-Pioz, Tadjikistan0293
CIF Raw Data - click here to close

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Loading XRD data...
Data Set:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
3.20 Å(100)
2.90 Å(100)
4.09 Å(90)
1.838 Å(80)
1.326 Å(80)
1.517 Å(70)
4.51 Å(60)

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic ModeEarliest Age (Ga)
Stage 4a: Earth’s earliest continental crust>4.4-3.0
19 : Granitic intrusive rocks
High-? alteration and/or metamorphism
32 : Ba/Mn/Pb/Zn deposits, including metamorphic deposits
Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks>3.0
35 : Ultra-alkali and agpaitic igneous rocks

Type Occurrence of SogdianiteHide

General Appearance of Type Material:
tabular crystals to 1 cm; platy aggregates to 15 cm
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Mineralogy Museum, St. Petersburg University, St. Petersburg, no. 16246; Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, nos. 72028, 74962, vis3595
Geological Setting of Type Material:
pegmatite of the alkaline-granitic composition
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Other Language Names for SogdianiteHide

German:Sogdianit
Simplified Chinese:锆锂大隅石
Spanish:Sogdianita
Traditional Chinese:鋯鋰大隅石

Relationship of Sogdianite to other SpeciesHide

Member of:
Other Members of Osumilite Group:
Agakhanovite-(Y)K◻2(YCa)Be3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
AlmaruditeK◻2Mn2+2(Be2Al)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mmm
AluminosugiliteKNa2Al2Li3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
ArmeniteBa(H2O)2Ca2Al3[Al3Si9O30]Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnna
BerezanskiteK◻2Ti2Li3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
BrannockiteK◻2Sn2Li3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
ChayesiteK◻2Mg2(Mg2Fe3+)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
DarapiositeKNa2Mn2(Zn2Li)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
DusmatoviteK(K◻)Mn2+2Zn3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
EifeliteKNa2(MgNa)Mg3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
FriedrichbeckeiteK(◻Na)Mg2(Be2Mg)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
KlöchiteK◻2(Fe2+Fe3+)Zn3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P63/mmc
LaurentthomasiteK◻2Mg2(Be2Al)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
MerrihueiteK(◻Na)Fe2+2Fe2+3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
MilariteK(◻H2O)Ca2(Be2Al)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
OftedaliteK◻2(ScCa)Be3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
OsumiliteK◻2Fe2+2Al3[Al2Si10O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
Osumilite-(Mg)K◻2Mg2Al3[Al2Si10O30] Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
PlechoviteCa2[K(H2O)]KBe3Si12O30Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
PoudretteiteK◻2Na2B3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
RoedderiteK(◻Na)Mg2Mg3[Si12O30]Hex. 6m2 : P62c
ShibkoviteK(◻K)Ca2Zn3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
SugiliteKNa2Fe3+2Li3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
Trattnerite◻(◻)2Fe3+2Mg3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
'UM1990-73-SiO:KMnNaZn'K(KNa0.50.5)(Mn1.5Na0.5)Zn3[Si12O30]Hex.
'Unnamed (Mn3+-dominant analog of Sugilite)'KNa2Mn3+2Li3[Si12O30]
YagiiteNa◻2Mg2Al3[Al2Si10O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc

Common AssociatesHide

Associations Based on Photo Data:
13 photos of Sogdianite associated with QuartzSiO2
13 photos of Sogdianite associated with ZektzeriteLiNaZrSi6O15
12 photos of Sogdianite associated with ZirconZr(SiO4)
11 photos of Sogdianite associated with MicroclineK(AlSi3O8)
6 photos of Sogdianite associated with IlmeniteFe2+TiO3
6 photos of Sogdianite associated with AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
6 photos of Sogdianite associated with ArfvedsoniteNaNa2(Fe2+4Fe3+)Si8O22(OH)2
4 photos of Sogdianite associated with PolylithioniteKLi2Al(Si4O10)(F,OH)2
3 photos of Sogdianite associated with Hydroxycalciopyrochlore(Ca,Na,U,◻)2(Nb,Ti)2O6(OH)
1 photo of Sogdianite associated with TienshaniteKNa3Na6Ca2Ba6Mn6(Ti4+,Nb)6B12Si36O114(O,OH,F)11

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

9.CM.Agakhanovite-(Y)K◻2(YCa)Be3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.PlechoviteCa2[K(H2O)]KBe3Si12O30Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05FriedrichbeckeiteK(◻Na)Mg2(Be2Mg)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05LaurentthomasiteK◻2Mg2(Be2Al)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05'UM1990-73-SiO:KMnNaZn'K(KNa0.50.5)(Mn1.5Na0.5)Zn3[Si12O30]Hex.
9.CM.05EifeliteKNa2(MgNa)Mg3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05AlmaruditeK◻2Mn2+2(Be2Al)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mmm
9.CM.05ArmeniteBa(H2O)2Ca2Al3[Al3Si9O30]Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnna
9.CM.05MerrihueiteK(◻Na)Fe2+2Fe2+3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05OftedaliteK◻2(ScCa)Be3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05RoedderiteK(◻Na)Mg2Mg3[Si12O30]Hex. 6m2 : P62c
9.CM.05ShibkoviteK(◻K)Ca2Zn3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05MilariteK(◻H2O)Ca2(Be2Al)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05BerezanskiteK◻2Ti2Li3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05PoudretteiteK◻2Na2B3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05DarapiositeKNa2Mn2(Zn2Li)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05ChayesiteK◻2Mg2(Mg2Fe3+)[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05Osumilite-(Mg)K◻2Mg2Al3[Al2Si10O30] Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05OsumiliteK◻2Fe2+2Al3[Al2Si10O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05SugiliteKNa2Fe3+2Li3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05Trattnerite◻(◻)2Fe3+2Mg3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05BrannockiteK◻2Sn2Li3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05KlöchiteK◻2(Fe2+Fe3+)Zn3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P63/mmc
9.CM.05DusmatoviteK(K◻)Mn2+2Zn3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.05YagiiteNa◻2Mg2Al3[Al2Si10O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.9.CM.AluminosugiliteKNa2Al2Li3[Si12O30]Hex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mcc
9.CM.10FaizieviteK2Na(Ca6Na)Ti4Li6[Si6O18]2[Si12O30]F2Tric. 1 : P1

RadioactivityHide

Radioactivity:
Element % Content Activity (Bq/kg) Radiation Type
Uranium (U) 0.0000% 0 α, β, γ
Thorium (Th) 0.0000% 0 α, β, γ
Potassium (K) 3.6907% 1,144 β, γ

For comparison:

  • Banana: ~15 Bq per fruit
  • Granite: 1,000–3,000 Bq/kg
  • EU exemption limit: 10,000 Bq/kg

Note: Risk is shown relative to daily recommended maximum exposure to non-background radiation of 1000 µSv/year. Note that natural background radiation averages around 2400 µSv/year so in reality these risks are probably extremely overstated! With infrequent handling and safe storage natural radioactive minerals do not usually pose much risk.

Interactive Simulator:

Note: The mass selector refers to the mass of radioactive mineral present, not the full specimen, also be aware that the matrix may also be radioactive, possibly more radioactive than this mineral!

Activity:

DistanceDose rateRisk
1 cm
10 cm
1 m

The external dose rate (D) from a radioactive mineral is estimated by summing the gamma radiation contributions from its Uranium, Thorium, and Potassium content, disregarding daughter-product which may have a significant effect in some cases (eg 'pitchblende'). This involves multiplying the activity (A, in Bq) of each element by its specific gamma ray constant (Γ), which accounts for its unique gamma emissions. The total unshielded dose at 1 cm is then scaled by the square of the distance (r, in cm) and multiplied by a shielding factor (μshield). This calculation provides a 'worst-case' or 'maximum risk' estimate because it assumes the sample is a point source and entirely neglects any self-shielding where radiation is absorbed within the mineral itself, meaning actual doses will typically be lower. The resulting dose rate (D) is expressed in microsieverts per hour (μSv/h).

D = ((AU × ΓU) + (ATh × ΓTh) + (AK × ΓK)) / r2 × μshield

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 SogdianiteHide

References for SogdianiteHide

Localities for SogdianiteHide

Showing 4 localities.

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.
Hide all sections | Show all sections

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.
Japan
 
  • Ehime Prefecture
    • Ochi District
      • Iwagi Island
Imaoka et al. (2021)
South Africa
 
  • Northern Cape
    • John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality
      • Joe Morolong Local Municipality
Michael O’Donoghue et al. (2006)
Tajikistan (TL)
 
  • Districts of Republican Subordination
Dusmatov et al. (1968) +5 other references
USA
 
  • Washington
    • Okanogan County
      • Golden Horn Batholith
Micro Probe Volume VI Number 8 +1 other reference
 
and/or  
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