Short pyramidal to long prismatic crystals common, massive to columnar
Twinning
Fine twin domains observed
Cleavage
Poor on {110} and {100} very poor on {001}
Fracture
Sub conchoidal to irregular
Tenacity
Brittle
Mohs scale hardness
6–7
Luster
Vitreous to resinous
Streak
White
Diaphaneity
Subtransparent to translucent
Specific gravity
3.32–3.43
Optical properties
Uniaxial (−)
Refractive index
nω = 1.703–1.752 nε = 1.700–1.746
Birefringence
0.004–0.006
Pleochroism
slight in colored varieties
Solubility
Vesuvianite is virtually insoluble in acids
Other characteristics
striated lengthwise
References
[2][3][4]
Vesuvianite, also known as idocrase, is a green, brown, yellow, or blue silicate mineral. Vesuvianite occurs as tetragonal crystals in skarn deposits and limestones that have been subjected to contact metamorphism.[3] It was first discovered within included blocks or adjacent to lavas on Mount Vesuvius, hence its name. Attractive-looking crystals are sometimes cut as gemstones. Localities which have yielded fine crystallized specimens include Mount Vesuvius and the Ala Valley near Turin, Piedmont.[5]
The specific gravity is 3.4 and the Mohs hardness is 6+1⁄2. The name "vesuvianite" was given by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1795, because fine crystals of the mineral are found at Vesuvius; these are brown in color and occur in the ejected limestone blocks of Monte Somma. Several other names were applied to this species, one of which, "idocrase" by René Just Haüy in 1796, is now in common use.[5]
A sky bluish variety known as cyprine has been reported from Franklin, New Jersey and other locations; the blue is due to impurities of copper in a complex calcium aluminum sorosilicate. Californite is a name sometimes used for jade-like vesuvianite, also known as California jade, American jade or Vesuvianite jade. Xanthite is a manganese rich variety. Wiluite is an optically positive variety from Wilui, Siberia. Idocrase is an older synonym sometimes used for gemstone-quality vesuvianite. Also, Vessonite and Vassolite are variant spellings commonly encountered in the gem trade.
^ abOne or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Spencer, Leonard James (1911). "Vesuvianite". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 1063.
Vesuvianite, also known as idocrase, is a green, brown, yellow, or blue silicate mineral. Vesuvianite occurs as tetragonal crystals in skarn deposits...
to: a variety of the mineral vesuvianite a valid mineral species (see cyprine (mineral), IMA2015-044) from the vesuvianite group the Icelandic cyprine...
appearance to vesuvianite, and there is confusion in terminology as viluite has long been used as a synonym for wiluite, a sorosilicate of the vesuvianite group...
Ixiolite Varieties that are not valid species: Idocrase (synonym of vesuvianite) Iolite (a gem-quality variety of cordierite) Jacobsite Jadarite Jadeite...
facies (subduction zone setting with low temperature and high pressure), vesuvianite, which takes up a significant amount of calcium in its chemical structure...
Grossular is found in skarns, contact metamorphosed limestones with vesuvianite, diopside, wollastonite and wernerite. Grossular garnet from Kenya and...
include chalcocite, atacamite, native copper, diopside, grossular, and vesuvianite. It was first described in 1981 for an occurrence in the Jeffrey quarry...
igneous rocks (typically titaniferous). Associated minerals include vesuvianite, chlorite, epidote, spinel, calcite, dolomite and magnetite. It is found...
fluorite, apatite, tourmaline, quartz, grossular–andradite, diopside, vesuvianite and tremolite. Scheelite usually occurs in tin-bearing veins; and is...
lime-bearing silicates are formed, such as diopside, epidote, garnet, sphene, vesuvianite and scapolite; with these phlogopite, various feldspars, pyrites, quartz...
intrusive masses. The minerals that accompany them are calcite, epidote, vesuvianite, garnet, wollastonite, diopside and amphibole. The scapolites are colorless...
analysis of its composition in another section of the book devoted to vesuvianite, probably suggesting, for his part, that the mineral was originally studied...
freestanding monticellite crystals to over 1 cm, perched on semilustrous brown vesuvianite (idocrase) crystals General Category Nesosilicate Formula (repeating...
the vesuvianite group and is the manganese analogue of vesuvianite. In 1883, Arnold von Lasaulx made the first detailed description of vesuvianite containing...
distinctive low-pressure metamorphic minerals, such as spinel, andalusite, vesuvianite, or wollastonite. Similar changes may be induced in shales by the burning...
peridot, turquoise, grossular, quartz (citrine and other varieties) and vesuvianite. The export earned from these gems is more than 200 Million dollars....
mafic dykes, containing grossular-andradite garnet, calcic pyroxene, vesuvianite, epidote and scapolite. Fenite, as a variant of metasomatism associated...
metasomatic rock composed of grossular-andradite garnet, calcic pyroxene, vesuvianite, epidote and scapolite. Rodingites are common where mafic rocks are in...
considered the same as vesuvianite. However, that material was recently shown to be rich in boron and thus different from vesuvianite. In 1998 that material...
for less, in reference to the less acute pyramidal form as compared to vesuvianite. As an end-member of the scapolite solid solution, meionite has the largest...
He also reported on the diminution in density produced in garnet and vesuvianite by melting (1831). Subjects on which he published research after 1833...
cuspidine, fluoborite, ludwigite, dolomite, calcite, talc, biotite, spinel, vesuvianite, sanidine, meionite and nepheline. The structure is monoclinic with space...
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