Vesuvianite (Idocrase)

General Information
Varieti
es/
Types:
Other
Names/
Trade
Names:
Chemic
al
Formul
a

Californite - A compact green jade-like variety of Vesuvianite.

Cyprine (of Berzelius) - A blue variety of Vesuvianite coloured by traces
of copper.

Idocrase
Data

Reference
Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda,
Gemmological Tables (2004)
Michael ODonoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition
(2006)

Geological Environment
Where
found:

Data
Vesuvianite occurs in skarns formed during
contact or regional metamorphism of
limestones in serpentines and ultramafic rock
In skarns formed during contact or regional
metamorphism of limestones; in garnetized
gabbros, mafic and ultramafic rocks, and
serpentinites; uncommon in alkalic igneous
rocks.

Physical Properties of Vesuvianite

Reference
Michael
ODonoghue, Gems,
Sixth Edition (2006)
Anthony et al,
Handbook of
mineralogy (2001)

Crystallogra
phy

Sistem Kristal
Tetragonal
Tetragonal
Tetragonal,
Monoclinic

Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem

Identification (2010)
Michael ODonoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006)
Anthony et al, Handbook of mineralogy (2001)

Habit
Prismantic
Thick columnar crystals
Commonly as short pyramidal to long
prismatic crystals, to 15 cm,
morphologically complex, with up to 30
forms reported on one crystal; columnar,
granular, massive.

Michael ODonoghue,
Gems, Sixth
Edition (2006)
Walter Schumann,
Gemstones of the
world(2001)
Anthony et
al, Handbook of
mineralogy (2001)

Referensi : http://www.mindat.org/min-4223.html
Specific
Gravity

Data
3.25 to 3.50
3.32 to 3.47
3.30 to 3.50

Cleavage
Quality

Data
Perfect

Mohs
Hardness

Indistinct
Poor
Data
6.5 to 0
6 to 7
6.5

Reference
Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem
Identification (2010)
Michael ODonoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006)
Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological
Tables (2004)

Reference
Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological
Tables (2004)
Walter Schumann, Gemstones of the world (2001)
Anthony et al, Handbook of mineralogy (2001)

Reference
Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem
Identification (2010)
Michael ODonoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006)
Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological
Tables (2004)

6.5 to 7

Fracture

Tenacity

E. Ya. Kievlenko, Geology of gems (2003)

Data
Uneven,Splintery
Irregular,SubConchoidal
Brittle

Reference
Walter Schumann, Gemstones of the
world (2001)
Anthony et al, Handbook of mineralogy (2001)

Reference : Anthony et al, Handbook of mineralogy (2001)

Colour

General
Various colours of which green, yellow and
brown are the most common
Yellowish-green, green, yellowish-brown,
violet
Green, olive-green, brown, yellowishbrown, pinkish-lilac, light-red, pale blue
and greenish-blue.
Yellow, green, brown; colorless to white,
blue, violet, bluish green, pink, red, black,
commonly zoned; in transmitted light,
colorless to light yellow, green, brown

Michael
ODonoghue, Gems,
Sixth Edition (2006)
Ulrich Henn and
Claudio C.
Milisenda, Gemmologi
cal Tables(2004)
E. Ya.
Kievlenko, Geology of
gems(2003)
Anthony et
al, Handbook of
mineralogy (2001)

Causes of Colour
Green, Fe3+ in octahedral coordination; with possible
influence of Fe2+Fe3+ charge transfer. Yellow, O2Fe2+ charge transfer. Brown, Fe2+Ti4+ charge transfer
Transparenc
y

Data
Transparent
Transparent

Lustre

Transparent,Transl
ucent
Data
Greasy
Vitreous,Resinous

W. William
Hanneman,
Spectroscopy For
Gemologists

Reference
Michael ODonoghue, Gems, Sixth
Edition (2006)
Ulrich Henn and Claudio C.
Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004)
Walter Schumann, Gemstones of the
world (2001)

Reference
Walter Schumann, Gemstones of the
world (2001)
Anthony et al, Handbook of mineralogy (2001)

Referensi : http://www.gemdat.org/gem-4223.html