Scapolite

Meionite (Scapolite)
from RRUFF

Marialite (Scapolite)
from RRUFF

Description

Any of several fluorescent silicates used as gemstones. Scapolites are transparent to translucent stones that occur in pastel shades of yellow, pink, lavender, purple, and cat's eye. Two types of scapolites are: marialite (sodium aluminosilicate), and meionite (calcium aluminosilicate). Scapolites are mined in Myanmar (formerly Burma), East Africa, Sweden (Kiruna), Australia (Queensland), Canada (Quebec, Ontario-yellow), the U.S. (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) and Mexico (Oaxaca-white).

Synonyms and Related Terms

Infrared spectrum of marialite from RRUFF

wernerite (former group name); marialite; meionite; sodalite; dipyre (now used for the marialite-rich variety); mizzonite (now used for the meionite-rich variety); escapolite (Port.)

Raman spectrum of marialite from RRUFF

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Short, square prismatic crystals
• Cleavage is distinct in two directions
• Fracture = conchoidal to uneven
• Streak = white
• Luster = vitreous
• Fluorescence = inert to strong pink, yellow, or orange
• Pleochroism = moderate to strong blue in pink, purple and violet stones

Mohs Hardness	5.0 - 6.0
Density	2.3-2.8 g/ml
Refractive Index	1.483 - 1.600
Birefringence	0.005 - 0.038 (increases as RI increases)

Resources and Citations

• Gem Identification Lab Manual, Gemological Institute of America, 2016.
• Mineralogy Database: Scapolite
• Wikipedia: Scapolite (Accessed Dec 2022)