Titanite
Revision as of 12:19, 27 April 2013 by (username removed)
Description
Small yellow, gray, green or brown crystals occasionally used as gemstones. Titanite, or sphene, is composed of calcium titanium silicate. It is often associated with granite. Deposits have been found in Canada (Ontario), Mexico, Austria (Tirol), Italy (Trentino), Norway, Switzerland, Madagascar, and the U. S. (New York, Montana, California).
Synonyms and Related Terms
sphene; Titanit (Deut.); Sphen (Deut.); titanita (Esp.); titanite (Fr.); tytanit (Pol.); titanite, esfena (Port.); titaniet (Ned.)
Other Properties
Brittle, wedge-shaped monoclinic crystals. Good cleavage in one direction.
Fracture = conchoidal. Streak = white. Luster = vitreous to adamantine.
No fluorescence under UV.
| Composition | CaTiSiO5 |
|---|---|
| Mohs Hardness | 5.0 - 5.5 |
| Density | 3.4-3.6 |
| Refractive Index | 1.885-1.990; 1.915-2.050 |
Additional Information
Mineralogy Database: Titanite
Comparisons
Natural and Simulated Diamonds
Authority
- Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "sphene" Encyclopdia Britannica [Accessed December 4, 2001]
- C.W.Chesterman, K.E.Lowe, C.W.Chesterman, K.E.Lowe, Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1979
- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanite (Accessed Sept. 17, 2005)
- Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
- Random House, Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998