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Rengeite, Sr4ZrTi4Si4O22, a new mineral, the Sr-Zr analogue of perrierite from the Itoigawa-Ohmi district, Niigata Prefecture, central Japan
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2018
Abstract
Rengeite, Sr4ZrTi4Si4O22, is a new member of the perrierite–chevkinite group found in the jades from the Itoigawa-Ohmi district, central Japan. It is monoclinic, P21/a, a = 13.97(1), b = 5.675(7), c = 11.98(1)Å, β = 114.26(8)°, V = 866 Å3 and Z = 2. The six strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are 3.12 (s) (40-3), 3.05 (vvs) (31-3), 2.99 (vs) (311), 2.84 (s) (020), 2.74 (s) (004), 2.20 (s) (31-5). Electron microprobe analysis gave SiO2 22.58, TiO2 29.88, ZrO2 9.49, Nb2O5 0.24, Ta2O5 0.07, Al2O3 0.20, FeO 0.10, CaO 0.43, SrO 34.32, BaO 0.13, La2O3 0.00, Ce2O3 0.38, Pr2O3 0.10, Nd2O3 0.29, Sm2O3 0.04, total 98.25 wt.%, corresponding to (Sr3.62Ca0.08Ce0.03Nd0.02Ba0.01Pr0.01)∑3.76 (Zr0.84Ti0.09Al0.04Fe0.02Nb0.02)∑1.01Ti4.00Si4.11O22 on the basis of O = 22. The unitcell parameters and chemical composition imply that rengeite is the Sr and Zr-analogue of perrierite or high-β analogue of strontiochevkinite. It is transparent, dark brown with adamantine lustre. Its streak is pale greenish brown, and no cleavage was observed. The hardness is VHN100 606–698 kg mm−2 (Mohs 5–5.5). The calculated density is 4.12 g cm−3. It is strongly pleochroic from pale green to pale greenish brown where the REE contents are <1 wt.% and pale violet to greenish brown where the REE contents are between 3 and 10 wt.%. It occurs as anhedral grains in close association with titanite, zircon and tausonite in a pebble of blue titanian omphacite-jadeite rock from the seashore of Oyashirazu, Ohmi Town, in a boulder of lavender-coloured Ti-bearing jadeitite from the bed of the Kotaki-gawa river, Itoigawa City, and in a boulder of green jade from the bed of the Hime-kawa river, Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture, central Japan. Rengeite is considered to have crystallized by interaction between pre-existing minerals (rutile, anatase, titanite and zircon) and Sr-rich metamorphic fluid during later stage activity of high-P/T metamorphism. The name is for Mt. Renge near the locality and the Renge metamorphic belt where jadeitite deposits are found.
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- Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2001
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