May 28 2014
Brizziite was named after Dr. Giancarlo Brizzi (1936–1992), a mineral collector who discovered the first specimens.
Properties of Brizziite
The following are the key properties of brizziite:
- Cell Data
- Space group: R 3
- a = 5.301(1)
- c = 15.932(4)
- Z = 6
- Crystal Data
- Hexagonal
- Point group: 3
- Platy hexagonal crystals, to 0.2mm, flattened on {0001}, in dense aggregates and incrustations
- Twinning: On {0001}, polysynthetic, common
- X-ray powder pattern: 1.874 (100), 2.365 (69), 1.471 (69), 2.650 (67), 5.30 (53), 3.00 (50), 1.185 (47)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
| Sb2O5 |
83.28 |
83.92 |
| Na2O |
15.98 |
16.08 |
| Total |
99.26 |
100.00 |
- Optical Properties
- Optical class: Uniaxial (-)
- ω = [1.84]
- ε = 1.631
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 4.42 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of brizziite = 4.95 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEBrizziite = 208.40 barns/electron
U=PEBrizziite x ρ electron density = 920.59 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.0001195361
Boson index = 0.9998804639 |
Radioactivity
|
Brizziite is not radioactive
|
How to Identify Brizziite
Brizziite can be identified in the field by its colorless form. Its transparent form has {001} perfect cleavage. This mineral has a pearly luster with white streak.
The density of brizziite is 4.8 to 4.95 g/cm3, with a hardness of 2 – approximate to gypsum. It is non-fluorescent.
Global Distribution
Brizziite is distributed mainly in the Cetine mine, 20km south-west of Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Occurrence of Brizziite and Useful Mineral Association
Brizziite occurs in a weathering product of stibnite, in an antimony deposit in highly silicified limestone.
It is often associated with minerals such as stibiconite, senarmontite, mopungite, and cetineite.
References