Pirssonite
Mineral Na2Ca(CO3)2·2H2O
About it
Glassy, colourless, short prisms and tablets that grow in the muds of soda lakes. Named for American petrologist Louis Pirsson; Searles Lake, California, is the classic source.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Carbonate
- Formula
- Na2Ca(CO3)2·2H2O
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 3–3.5
- Specific gravity
- 2.35
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy)
- Crystal system
- Orthorhombic
- Colours
- colourless, white, grey
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- none; conchoidal fracture
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.