Idrialite

Idrialite
Idrialite, Skaggs Springs Mine, Sonoma County, California (size: 6.3 x 4.1 x 1.8 cm
General
CategoryOrganic mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)		C22H14
IMA symbolId[1]
Strunz classification10.BA.20
Dana classification50.03.08.01
Crystal systemOrthorhombic
Unknown space group
Unit cella = 8.07, b = 6.42
c = 27.75 [Å]; Z = 4
Identification
ColorGreenish yellow, light brown, colorless
Cleavage{001}, perfect; {100}, poor
FractureConchoidal
Mohs scale hardness1.5
LusterVitreous to adamantine
Specific gravity1.236
Optical propertiesBiaxial (+)
Refractive indexnα= 1.557 nβ = 1.734 nγ = 2.07
PleochroismX = pale yellow; Y = Z = yellow
2V angle84°
Ultraviolet fluorescenceShort UV=blue, orange, yellow, green white
References[2][3][4]

Idrialite is a rare hydrocarbon mineral with approximate chemical formula C22H14.[2][3][4]

Idrialite usually occurs as soft orthorhombic crystals, is usually greenish yellow to light brown in color with bluish fluorescence. It is named after Idrija, town in Slovenia, where its occurrence was first described.[4]

The mineral has also been called idrialine, and branderz in German It has also been called inflammable cinnabar due to its combustibility and association with cinnabar ores in the source locality.[5] A mineral found in the Skaggs Springs location of California was described in 1925 and named curtisite, but was eventually found to consist of the same compounds as idrialite, in somewhat different amounts.[6][7] Thus curtisite is now considered to be merely a variety of idrialite.[8]

  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference HBM.idrialite was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference webmin.idrialite was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference mindat.idrialite was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference egle1889 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference wise1986 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference blum1975 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference mindat.curtisite was invoked but never defined (see the help page).