Phenakite
Mineral Be2SiO4
Also called Phenacite
About it
Clear rhombohedral or short prismatic crystals, harder than quartz and often twinned; Brazil, Madagascar, and Russia's Ural emerald mines. The name means "deceiver" in Greek.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Silicate (nesosilicate), phenakite group
- Formula
- Be2SiO4
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 7.5–8
- Specific gravity
- 2.93–3
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy)
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Colours
- colourless, white, pale yellow, pink
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- indistinct; conchoidal fracture
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.