Idrialite, Skaggs Springs Mine, Sonoma County, California (size: 6.3 x 4.1 x 1.8 cm
General
Category
Organic mineral
Formula (repeating unit)
C22H14
IMA symbol
Id[1]
Strunz classification
10.BA.20
Dana classification
50.03.08.01
Crystal system
Orthorhombic Unknown space group
Unit cell
a = 8.07, b = 6.42 c = 27.75 [Å]; Z = 4
Identification
Color
Greenish yellow, light brown, colorless
Cleavage
{001}, perfect; {100}, poor
Fracture
Conchoidal
Mohs scale hardness
1.5
Luster
Vitreous to adamantine
Specific gravity
1.236
Optical properties
Biaxial (+)
Refractive index
nα= 1.557 nβ = 1.734 nγ = 2.07
Pleochroism
X = pale yellow; Y = Z = yellow
2V angle
84°
Ultraviolet fluorescence
Short UV=blue, orange, yellow, green white
References
[2][3][4]
Idrialite is a rare hydrocarbon mineral with approximate chemical formula C22H14.[2][3][4]
Idrialite usually occurs as soft orthorhombic crystals, is usually greenish yellow to light brown in color with bluish fluorescence. It is named after Idrija, town in Slovenia, where its occurrence was first described.[4]
The mineral has also been called idrialine, and branderz in German It has also been called inflammable cinnabar due to its combustibility and association with cinnabar ores in the source locality.[5] A mineral found in the Skaggs Springs location of California was described in 1925 and named curtisite, but was eventually found to consist of the same compounds as idrialite, in somewhat different amounts.[6][7] Thus curtisite is now considered to be merely a variety of idrialite.[8]
Idrialite is a rare hydrocarbon mineral with approximate chemical formula C22H14. Idrialite usually occurs as soft orthorhombic crystals, is usually greenish...
diorite intrusive into argillite within cavities, and is associated with idrialite, amorphous organic material, calcite, barite, quartz, cinnabar, and metacinnabar...
transformed into fossil fuels such as oil and coal. The rare minerals idrialite, curtisite, and carpathite consist almost entirely of PAHs that originated...
Idrialin is a mineral wax which can be distilled from the mineral idrialite. According to G. Goldschmidt of the Chemical Society of London, it can be...
"Compound specific isotope analysis of the organic minerals hatchettite and idrialite in geodes, coal, and mineral deposits". Chapter in Mineral Deposits: Processes...
of organic minerals include mellite in 1793, humboldtine in 1821 and idrialite in 1832. In the proposed 10th edition of the Nickel-Strunz classification...
Mining operations were taken over by the government in 1580. The mineral idrialite, discovered here in 1832, is named after the town. In the Middle Ages...
scepticism. Picene is also a major constituent of the hydrocarbon mineral idrialite. Olympicene, which has the same number of rings linked in a different...
Ixiolite-(Mn2+) Ix-Mn Idaite Ida Incomsartorite Isat Irinarassite Inr Iyoite Iy Idrialite Id Inderborite Ibo Iron (ferrum) Fe Izoklakeite Iz Iimoriite-(Y) Iim-Y...