Click on a letter above to view the list of gems.    

  

 


Phenakite
Current inventory:  2 gems
 

Phenakite

Chemistry:  Be2SiO4  [Beryllium Silicate]

Discovered in 1833;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
Phenakite was named in 1833 by Nordenkiold from the Greek word for deceiver because it was often mistaken for quartz.

 

Classification

   

   

Mineral Classification:

Silicates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

8/A.01-10

 

8 : Silicates
A : Nesosilicates, with [SiO4]4- groups, cations of tetrahedric orientation [4]
01 : Phenakite series

 

 

Crystal Data

   

   

Crystallography:

Trigonal - Rhombohedral

Crystal Habit:

Crystals rhombohedral, tabular to prismatic, less commonly long prismatic to acicular, to 20 cm. In columnar aggregates, as spherulites, and granular.
Twinning: Penetration twins, by rotation about [0001].

 

 

Physical Properties

   

 

Cleavage:

[1120] Distinct

Fracture:

Conchoidal

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

7.5 - 8.0

Density:

2.93 - 3.00 (g/cm3)

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

 

 

Optical Properties

   

   

Color:

Colourless, white, yellow, pale rose

Transparency:

Transparent to Translucent

Luster:

Vitreous

Refractive Index:

1.650 - 1.670  Uniaxial ( + )

Birefringence:

0.0160

Dispersion:

0.005 (weak)

Pleochroism:

Only observed in strongly colored crystals

 

 

Occurances

   

   

Geological Setting:

In pegmatites, greisens, and alpine and hydrothermal veins.

Type Locality:

Emerald mines (Izumrudnye Kopi; Malyshevskoye deposit), Malyshevo, Ekaterinburg (Yekaterinburg; Sverdlovsk), Sverdlovskaya Oblast', Urals Region, Russia

Year Discovered:

1833

View mineral photos:

Phenakite Mineral Photos and Locations

 

 

More Information

   

   

 

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

 

 


Phenakite is a beautiful gem that is ideal for use in jewelry because of its high hardness and bright white color. Cut gems have little fire but are very bright. Red Phenakite gems from Russia are known, but are very rare. Small gem quality crystals have been found on Pike's Peak and Mount Antero in Colorado, USA. Other sources include Burma and Madagascar.
 

  
Phenakite gems for sale:

Phenakite-002

Gem:

Phenakite

Stock #:

PHEN-002

Weight:

4.2015 ct

Size:

12.61 x 10.08 x 7.26 mm

Shape:

Trillion

Color:

Colorless

Clarity:

Eye Clean

Origin:

Burma

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

$210.00    [ Make an offer ]

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Phenakite-002

A very rare gem due to its size and clarity. This large Phenakite is very bright.


Phenakite-001

Gem:

Phenakite

Stock #:

PHEN-001

Weight:

1.24 ct

Size:

6.80 x 4.65 mm

Shape:

Round

Color:

Colorless

Clarity:

MI

Origin:

Abalavato, Madagascar

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

SOLD (but we have others)

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Phenakite-001

A very bright gem from a closed mine location near Abalavato, Madagascar.


 

 


I love Sarah