β-Cristobalite
This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
Formula:
SiO2
Colour:
colorless, white
Lustre:
Vitreous
Crystal System:
Isometric
Member of:
Name:
Named after its locality (Cerro San Cristobal, Mexico).
Polymorph of:
The cubic high-temperature polymorph of cristobalite, stable at temperatures above 1470°C (the transition is slow and the transition temperature difficult to determine; for a review see Heaney, 1994).
Found in volcanic environments. Specimens in collections are paramorphs of tetragonal α-cristobalite after β-cristobalite.
Found in volcanic environments. Specimens in collections are paramorphs of tetragonal α-cristobalite after β-cristobalite.
Name Encoding
CP1252:
b-Cristobalite
Latin-1:
b-Cristobalite
ASCII-7:
b-Cristobalite
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
5161
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:5161:9
Similar Names
| Cristobalite | A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered | SiO2 |
Physical Properties of β-Cristobalite
Chemistry of β-Cristobalite
Mindat Formula:
SiO2
Elements listed:
Crystallography of β-Cristobalite
Crystal System:
Isometric
Class (H-M):
m3m(4/m32/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:
Fd3m
Cell Parameters:
a = 4.96937 Å, c = 6.92563 Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 1.394
Unit Cell V:
171.026 ų
Morphology:
Pseudo octahedral crystals, commonly dendritic, spherulites.
Twinning:
Spinel law twinning (1 1 1) is common
Epitaxial Relationships of β-Cristobalite
Epitaxial Minerals:
| 'Tridymite' | SiO2 |
Synonyms of β-Cristobalite
Relationship of β-Cristobalite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of Silica:
| Chibaite | SiO2 · n(CH4, C2H6, C3H8, i-C4H10) (n = 3/17 (max)) | Iso. m3(2/m3) : Fd3 |
| Coesite | SiO2 | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
| Cristobalite | SiO2 | Tet. 422 : P41212 |
| 'Keatite' | SiO2 | Tet. 422 : P43212 |
| Lechatelierite | SiO2 | Amor. |
| Melanophlogite | 46SiO2 · 6(N2,CO2) · 2(CH4,N2) | Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) |
| Mogánite | SiO2 | Mon. 2/m |
| 'Opal-AG' | SiO2 · nH2O | |
| 'Opal-AN' | SiO2 · nH2O | |
| 'Opal-C' | SiO2 · nH2O | |
| 'Opal-CT' | SiO2 · nH2O | |
| Quartz | SiO2 | Trig. 32 : P3121 |
| 'Quartz-beta' | SiO2 | Hex. 622 : P6422 |
| Stishovite | SiO2 | Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : P42/mnm |
| Tridymite | SiO2 | Tric. 1 |
| 'β-Tridymite' | SiO2 |
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 β-Cristobalite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-5161.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
Search Engines:
Mineral Dealers:
References for β-Cristobalite
Reference List:
Localities for β-Cristobalite
Showing 1 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.
USA | |
| Bargar et al. (1986) |
