Analcime
Mineral NaAlSi2O6·H2O
Also called Analcite
About it
Glassy trapezohedra that look like white garnets but are far lighter, lining cavities in basalt and alkaline rocks; Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Italy's Cyclopean Isles.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Silicate (tectosilicate), zeolite group
- Formula
- NaAlSi2O6·H2O
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 5–5.5
- Specific gravity
- 2.24–2.29
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy)
- Crystal system
- Isometric (cubic)
- Colours
- colourless, white, pink, grey, greenish
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- very poor; subconchoidal fracture
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.