| General Information |
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| Varieties/Types: | Californite - A compact green jade-like variety of vesuvianite. |
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| Other Names/Trade Names: | |
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| Chemical Formula | Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Physical Properties of Vesuvianite |
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| Mohs Hardness | 6.5Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Specific Gravity | 3.30 to 3.50Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Tenacity | BrittleAnthony et al, Handbook of mineralogy (2001) |
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| Cleavage Quality | PerfectUlrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Fracture | Irregular,Sub-ConchoidalAnthony et al, Handbook of mineralogy (2001) |
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| Optical Properties of Vesuvianite |
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| Refractive Index | 1.698 to 1.723Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Optical Character | Uniaxial/-Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Birefringence | 0.001 to 0.012Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Pleochroism | Orange/brown vesuvianite - weak: light body color - dark body color; Green - weak: yellow-green - yellow-brown; Yellow - weak: colorless - yellowHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) |
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| Dispersion | StrongAnthony et al, Handbook of mineralogy (2001) |
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| Chatoyancy | RareHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) |
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| Colour |
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| Colour (General) | Yellowish-green, green, yellowish-brown, violetUlrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Causes of Colour | Green, Fe3+ in octahedral coordination; with possible influence of Fe2+→Fe3+ charge transfer. Yellow, O2-→Fe2+ charge transfer. Brown, Fe2+→Ti4+ charge transferW. William Hanneman, Pragmatic Spectroscopy For Gemologists (2011) |
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| Transparency | TransparentUlrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Lustre | Vitreous,ResinousAnthony et al, Handbook of mineralogy (2001) |
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| Crystallography of Vesuvianite |
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| Crystal System | TetragonalHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references |
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| Habit | PrismanticMichael O’Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) More from other references |
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| Geological Environment |
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| Where found: | Vesuvianite occurs in skarns formed during contact or regional metamorphism of limestones in serpentines and ultramafic rockMichael O’Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) More from other references |
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| Inclusions in Vesuvianite |
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| Swirly appearance, rounded crystal inclusions, healing planes - Gemmological Tables, Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, 2004, p 20 |
| Further Information |
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| Mineral information: | Vesuvianite information at mindat.org |
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| Significant Gem Localities |
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| Norway | | |
| [var: Cyprine (of Berzelius)] Walter Schumann, Gemstones of the world (2001) | | USA | | |
| MacFall, 1951. Gem Hunter's Guide, 1st ed. | |
| Gems & Minerals (1963): July: 20-22; USGS (2005), Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS): U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, loc. file ID #10286810. |
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