Oneillite Explained

Oneillite
Category:Silicate mineral, cyclosilicate
Formula: (original form)
Imasymbol:One[1]
Strunz:9.CO.10
System:Trigonal
Class:Pyramidal (3)
H-M symbol: (3)
Symmetry:R3
Unit Cell:a = 14.19, c = 29.98  [Å], Z = 3 (approximated)
Color:Yellowish brown
Habit:anhedral grains
Cleavage:None
Fracture:Uneven
Tenacity:Brittle
Mohs:5–6
Luster:Vitreous
Streak:White
Diaphaneity:Transparent or translucent
Density:3.20 g/cm3 (measured)
Opticalprop:Uniaxial (−)
Refractive:nω = 1.65 nε = 1.64 (approximated)
Pleochroism:None

Oneillite is a rare mineral of the eudialyte group with the chemical formula .[2] [3] The formula is based on the original one but extended to show the presence of cyclic silicate groups and domination of Si at the M4 site. The mineral has lowered symmetry (space group R3, instead of more specific for the group R3m one) due to Ca-Mn ordering. Similar feature is displayed by some other eudialyte-group members: aqualite, labyrinthite, raslakite, and voronkovite. Oneillite is strongly enriched in rare earth elements (REE, mainly cerium), but REE do not dominate any of its sites.

Notes on chemistry

Rare earth elements in oneillite include cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and yttrium, with minor praseodymium and gadolinium. Other impurities are potassium, and minor amounts of aluminium, hafnium, strontium and tantalum.

Occurrence and association

Oneillite is one of four eudialyte-group minerals discovered within alkaline rocks of Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. It associates with aegirine, albite, sodalite, and pyrite.

Notes and References

  1. Warr. L.N.. 2021. IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine. 85. 3 . 291–320. 10.1180/mgm.2021.43 . 2021MinM...85..291W . 235729616 . free.
  2. Mindat, Oneillite, http://www.mindat.org/min-11029.html
  3. Johnsen, O., Grice, J.D., and Gault, R.A., 1999. Oneillite: a new Ca-deficient and REE-rich member of the eudialyte group from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. The Canadian Mineralogist 37, 1295–1301