Vlasovite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Vlasovite
Kuzma A. Vlasov
Formula:
Na2ZrSi4O11
Colour:
Colorless, honey-brown
Lustre:
Vitreous, Greasy, Pearly
Hardness:
6
Specific Gravity:
2.92 - 2.97
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
Named in honor of Kuzma Alekseevich Vlasov (Кузьма Алексеевич Власов) (1 (14) November 1905, Nikolaevka, Tambov Province, Russian Empire - 29 September 1964, Moscow, USSR), mineralogist and geochemist, founder of the Institute of Mineralogy (Moscow).
Seems to be related to khurayyimite; the two are suggested to belong to the same group.
The two minerals can be described using geometrical repeat unit of cTr = 2T4 3T4 and topological repeat unit of cVr = 2V2 3V2.
The two minerals can be described using geometrical repeat unit of cTr = 2T4 3T4 and topological repeat unit of cVr = 2V2 3V2.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
4196
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:4196:2
IMA Classification of Vlasovite
Approved
IMA Formula:
Na2Zr4+Si4O11
Approval year:
1967
First published:
1961
Classification of Vlasovite
9.DM.25
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
M : Inosilicates with 6-periodic single chains
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
M : Inosilicates with 6-periodic single chains
66.2.2.1
66 : INOSILICATES Double-Width,Unbranched Chains,(W=2)
2 : Amphiboles - Ca subgroup
66 : INOSILICATES Double-Width,Unbranched Chains,(W=2)
2 : Amphiboles - Ca subgroup
14.10.5
14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
10 : Silicates of Zr or Hf
14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
10 : Silicates of Zr or Hf
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Vsv | 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 Vlasovite
Vitreous, Greasy, Pearly
Transparency:
Translucent
Comment:
highly vitreous to pearly on cleavage surfaces.
Colour:
Colorless, honey-brown
Hardness:
6 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=770 - Vickers
Cleavage:
Distinct/Good
{010}, good; {h0l}, poor.
{010}, good; {h0l}, poor.
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density:
2.92 - 2.97 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.07 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Vlasovite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.607(3) nβ = 1.623(3) nγ = 1.628(3)
2V:
Measured: 40° to 56°
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.021
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:
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
Chemistry of Vlasovite
Mindat Formula:
Na2ZrSi4O11
Element Weights:
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Vlasovite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
B2/b
Setting:
C2/c
Cell Parameters:
a = 11.0390(5) Å, b = 10.0980(4) Å, c = 8.5677(4) Å
β = 100.313(1)°
β = 100.313(1)°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1.093 : 1 : 0.848
Unit Cell V:
939.6 ų
Z:
4
Twinning:
Twin plane {010}, uncommon.
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
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
Remove metal-metal sticks
Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
Remove metal-metal sticks
Display Options
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
View
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
Rotation
Stop | Start
Stop | Start
Labels
Console Off | On | Grey | Yellow
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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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0006128 | Vlasovite | Sokolova E, Hawthorne F C, Ball N A, Mitchell R H, Della Ventura G (2006) Vlasovite, Na2Zr(Si4O11), from the Kipawa alkaline complex, Quebec, Canada: Crystal-structure refinement and infrared spectroscopy The Canadian Mineralogist 44 1349-1356 |  | 2006 | Kipawa alkaline complex, Quebec, Canada | 0 | 293 |
| 0014182 | Vlasovite | Voronkov A A, Zhdanova T A, Pyatenko Y A (1974) Refinement of the structure of vlasovite Na2ZrSi4O11 and some characteristics of the composition and structure of the zirconosilicates Kristallografiya 19 252-259 | 1974 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0014445 | Vlasovite | Fleet S G, Cann J R (1967) Vlasovite: a second occurrence and a triclinic to monoclinic inversion Mineralogical Magazine 36 233-241 | | 1967 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 5.053 Å | (100) |
| 3.669 Å | (75) |
| 3.882 Å | (45) |
| 3.237 Å | (40) |
| 3.363 Å | (35) |
| 3.548 Å | (25) |
| 1.945 Å | (20) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 4a: Earth’s earliest continental crust | >4.4-3.0 |
| 19 : Granitic intrusive rocks | |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 35 : Ultra-alkali and agpaitic igneous rocks |
Type Occurrence of Vlasovite
General Appearance of Type Material:
crystals, to 15 cm
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Mining Institute, St. Petersburg, 1037/1; A.E. Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 83207, vis5052; National School of Mines, Paris, France.
Other Language Names for Vlasovite
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 89 photos of Vlasovite associated with Eudialyte | Na15Ca6Fe3Zr3Si(Si25O73)(O,OH,H2O)3(Cl,OH)2 |
| 67 photos of Vlasovite associated with Gittinsite | CaZrSi2O7 |
| 27 photos of Vlasovite associated with Agrellite | NaCa2Si4O10F |
| 18 photos of Vlasovite associated with Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| 9 photos of Vlasovite associated with Katophorite | Na(CaNa){Mg4Al)(AlSi7O22)(OH)2 |
| 9 photos of Vlasovite associated with Nepheline | Na3K(Al4Si4O16) |
| 4 photos of Vlasovite associated with Astrophyllite | K2NaFe2+7Ti2[Si4O12]2O2(OH)4F |
| 3 photos of Vlasovite associated with Dalyite | K2ZrSi6O15 |
| 3 photos of Vlasovite associated with Rinkite-(Ce) | (Ca3Ce)Na(NaCa)Ti(Si2O7)2(OF)F2 |
| 3 photos of Vlasovite associated with Alkali Feldspar |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 9.DM. | Kesebolite-(Ce) | CeCa2Mn(AsO4)(SiO3)3 |
| 9.DM.05 | Stokesite | CaSn[Si3O9] · 2H2O |
| 9.DM.10 | Calciohilairite | CaZr[SiO3]3 · 3H2O |
| 9.DM.10 | Pyatenkoite-(Y) | Na5YTi[SiO3]6 · 6H2O |
| 9.DM.10 | Hilairite | Na2Zr[SiO3]3 · 3H2O |
| 9.DM.10 | Komkovite | BaZr[Si3O9] · 3H2O |
| 9.DM.10 | Sazykinaite-(Y) | Na5YZr[SiO3]6 · 6H2O |
| 9.DM.15 | Plumbogaidonnayite | PbZrSi3O9 · 2H2O |
| 9.DM.15 | Gaidonnayite | Na2Zr(Si3O9) · 2H2O |
| 9.DM.15 | Georgechaoite | NaKZr[Si3O9] · 2H2O |
| 9.DM.20 | Chkalovite | Na2BeSi2O6 |
| 9.DM.30 | Revdite | Na16Si16O27(OH)26 · 28H2O |
| 9.DM.35 | Scheuchzerite | Na(Mn,Mg,Zn)9[VSi9O28(OH)](OH)3 |
| 9.DM.40 | Terskite | Na4ZrSi6O16 · 2H2O |
| 9.DM.40 | Hydroterskite | Na2ZrSi6O12(OH)6 |
Fluorescence of Vlasovite
Altered portions fluoresce brownish yellow under SW UV
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 Vlasovite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-4196.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Vlasovite
Reference List:
Fleet, S. G., Cann, J. R. (1967) Vlasovite: a second occurrence and a triclinic to monoclinic inversion. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 36 (278) 233-241 doi:10.1180/minmag.1967.036.278.06
IMA (1967) International Mineralogical Association: Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 36 (277) 131-136 doi:10.1180/minmag.1967.036.277.20
Gittins, J., Gasparrini, E. L., Fleet, S. G. (1973) The occurrence of vlasovite in Canada. The Canadian Mineralogist, 12 (3) 211-214
Currie, K. L., Zaleski, E. (1985) The relative stability of elpidite and vlasovite: a P-T indicator for peralkaline rocks. The Canadian Mineralogist, 23 (4) 577-582
Gobechiya, E. R., Pekov, I. V., Pushcharovskii, D. Yu., Ferraris, G., Gula, A., Zubkova, N. V., Chukanov, N. V. (2003) New data on vlasovite: Refinement of the crystal structure and the radiation damage of the crystal during the x-ray diffraction experiment. Crystallography Reports, 48 (5) 750-754 doi:10.1134/1.1612595
Localities for Vlasovite
Showing 13 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The 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.
Antarctica | |
| Harris et al. (1993) |
Australia | |
| Anenburg et al. (2021) |
Canada | |
| MÖLLER (2016) |
| Currie et al. (1996) +1 other reference |
| Miller (1990) +6 other references | |
Czech Republic | |
| Krmíčková et al. (2022) |
India | |
| Mondal et al. (2021) |
Portugal | |
| Samples collected by Luigi Chiappino ... +1 other reference |
Russia | |
| A.M. Portnov data +2 other references |
| |
| Pekov (1998) |
Saint Helena， Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | |
| Bell (1967) +20 other references | |
| rruff.geo.arizona.edu (n.d.) |
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Água de Pau Volcano, São Miguel, Azores, Portugal