| Ancylite | |
| Category: | Carbonate mineral |
| Imasymbol: | Anc[1] |
| Strunz: | 5.DC.05 |
| Dana: | 16b.1.1.1 |
| System: | Orthorhombic |
| Class: | Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
| Symmetry: | Pmcn |
| Color: | Light yellow, orange-yellow, yellow-brown, grey |
| Cleavage: | None |
| Fracture: | Splintery |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Mohs: | 4–4.5 |
| Luster: | Dull |
| Streak: | White |
| Diaphaneity: | Translucent |
| Density: | 3.95 g/cm3 |
Ancylite is a group of hydrous strontium carbonate minerals containing cerium, lanthanum and minor amounts of other rare-earth elements. The chemical formula is with ancylite-Ce enriched in cerium and ancylite-La in lanthanum.[2] [3]
Ancylite was first described in 1899 for an occurrence in the Narsarsuk pegmatite in west Greenland and named from the Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: αυκιλος for curved in reference to its rounded or distorted crystal form.[2] [4]