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Calamaite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Calamaite
Formula:
Na2TiO(SO4)2 · 2H2O
Colour:
Colorless (isolated crystals) , white (aggregates)
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
3
Specific Gravity:
2.45 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Named after the Calama commune and the Calama city, Chile.
New structure type. Third Ti-dominant sulfate mineral after alcaparrosaite and innelite; second purely sulfate Ti-rich mineral.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
50334
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:50334:5
Similar Names
| Calamite | A synonym of Tremolite | |
| Colimaite | A valid IMA mineral species | K3VS4 |
| Colomite | A synonym of Roscoelite | |
| Columbite | A synonym of 'Columbite-(Fe)-Columbite-(Mn) Series' | |
| Columbite-(Fe) | A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered | Fe2+Nb2O6 |
| Columbite-(Fe)-Tantalite-(Fe) Series | A solid-solution series between two end-member minerals | |
| Columbite-(Mg) | A valid IMA mineral species | (Mg,Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)2O6 |
| Columbite-(Mn) | A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered | Mn2+Nb2O6 |
| Columbite-(Mn)-Tantalite-(Mn) Series | A solid-solution series between two end-member minerals |
IMA Classification of Calamaite
Approved
IMA Formula:
Na2Ti4+O(S6+O4)2·2H2O
Approval year:
2016
First published:
2018
Type description reference:
Pekov, Igor V., Siidra, Oleg I., Chukanov, Nikita V., Yapaskurt, Vasiliy O., Belakovskiy, Dmitry I., Turchkova, Anna G., Möhn, Gerhard (2018) Calamaite, a new natural titanium sulfate from the Alcaparrosa mine, Calama, Antofagasta region, Chile. European Journal of Mineralogy, 30 (4) 801-809 doi:10.1127/ejm/2018/0030-2738
Classification of Calamaite
7.DF.50
7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
D : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O
F : With large and medium-sized cations
7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
D : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O
F : With large and medium-sized cations
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Clm | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Calamaite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Colorless (isolated crystals) , white (aggregates)
Hardness:
3 on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Distinct/Good
On (001)
On (001)
Density:
2.45 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Calamaite
Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 1.557(2) nβ = 1.562(2) nγ = 1.671(3)
2V:
Measured: 30° (10)
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.114
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
Surface Relief:
Moderate (positive)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
This shows the grain boundary and Becke line effect under plane-polarised
light, based on the contrast between this mineral's average refractive
index and the mounting medium. It does not take into account mineral
colouration.
In focus
Interference Figure:
This shows the idealized biaxial acute bisectrix (Bxa) interference figure
- the conoscopic view for a grain cut perpendicular to the acute bisectrix, using
this mineral's 2V. The two small white dots mark the melatopes - the points
where the two optic axes emerge - and are shown only when they fall within the
field of view. The coloured bands are isochromatics, and the dark bands are
isogyres.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Chemistry of Calamaite
Mindat Formula:
Na2TiO(SO4)2 · 2H2O
Element Weights:
Crystallography of Calamaite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm(2/m2/m2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:
Ibam
Setting:
Ibam
Cell Parameters:
a = 16.0989(11) Å, b = 16.2399(9) Å, c = 7.0135(4) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.991 : 1 : 0.432
Unit Cell V:
1833.6 ų
Z:
8
Morphology:
Acicular to 0.01 × 2 mm; rarely prismatic to 1 × 1 × 3 mm
Twinning:
Cross-like interpenetration twins are common
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 8.10 Å | (100) |
| 5.04 Å | (55) |
| 3.787 Å | (26) |
| 3.619 Å | (18) |
| 3.417 Å | (27) |
| 3.185 Å | (15) |
| 2.943 Å | (20) |
| 2.895 Å | (20) |
Reference:
Pekov, Igor V., Siidra, Oleg I., Chukanov, Nikita V., Yapaskurt, Vasiliy O., Belakovskiy, Dmitry I., Turchkova, Anna G., Möhn, Gerhard (2018) Calamaite, a new natural titanium sulfate from the Alcaparrosa mine, Calama, Antofagasta region, Chile. European Journal of Mineralogy, 30 (4) 801-809 doi:10.1127/ejm/2018/0030-2738
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event | <2.4 |
| 47a : [Near-surface hydration of prior minerals] | |
| 47b : [Sulfates and sulfites] |
Type Occurrence of Calamaite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Acicular to hair-like crystals to 2 mm, in bunches or radial spherulitic clusters to 4 mm across. As prismatic crystals and cross-like twins.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
The Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, registration number 4883/1
Empirical Formula of Type Material:
Na1.97(Ti0.92Fe3+0.07)Σ0.99Σ2.02O9·2H2O
Chemical Analysis of Type Material:
| Na2O | 18.21 % |
|---|---|
| K2O | 0.06 % |
| Fe2O3 | 1.58 % |
| TiO2 | 21.80 % |
| SO3 | 48.25 % |
| H2O (calc) | 10.74 % |
| Total: | 100.64 % |
Geological Setting of Type Material:
oxidation zone of a pyrite orebody at a sulfate mine
Reference:
Pekov, Igor V., Siidra, Oleg I., Chukanov, Nikita V., Yapaskurt, Vasiliy O., Belakovskiy, Dmitry I., Turchkova, Anna G., Möhn, Gerhard (2018) Calamaite, a new natural titanium sulfate from the Alcaparrosa mine, Calama, Antofagasta region, Chile. European Journal of Mineralogy, 30 (4) 801-809 doi:10.1127/ejm/2018/0030-2738
Synonyms of Calamaite
Other Language Names for Calamaite
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 7.DF. | Siligiite | [Pb(H2O)5(SO4)][Zn9(OH)18] |
| 7.DF. | Alcaparrosaite | K3Ti4+Fe3+(SO4)4O(H2O)2 |
| 7.DF. | Flaggite | Pb4Cu2+4Te6+2(SO4)2O11(OH)2(H2O) |
| 7.DF. | Bairdite | Pb2Cu2+4Te6+2O10(OH)2(SO4) · H2O |
| 7.DF. | Tzeferisite | CaZn8(SO4)2(OH)12Cl2(H2O)9 |
| 7.DF. | Cherokeeite | [Pb2Zn(OH)4](SO4) · H2O |
| 7.DF. | Ammoniomathesiusite | (NH4)5(UO2)4(SO4)4(VO5) · 4H2O |
| 7.DF. | Sigogglinite | [Pb6Zn(OH)8]2(SO4)6 · (H2O)8-x |
| 7.DF.X | Blueridgeite | [Pb8Zn3Cu2+(OH)16](SO4)2(S2O3)2 · 2H2O |
| 7.DF. | Erssonite | Mg7Fe3+2(OH)18[Ca(H2O)6](SO4)2 · 12H2O |
| 7.DF. | Poellmannite | Ca6Al3(OH)18[Na(H2O)6](SO4)2 · 6H2O |
| 7.DF. | Carlsonite | (NH4)5Fe3+3O(SO4)6 · 7H2O |
| 7.DF. | Cuprocherokeeite | [Pb8Zn3Cu2+(OH)16](SO4)4 · 4H2O |
| 7.DF. | Haywoodite | [Pb(H2O)10][Zn12(OH)20(H2O)(SO4)3] |
| 7.DF. | Chromschieffelinite | Pb10Te6+6O20(OH)14(CrO4)(H2O)5 |
| 7.DF.05 | Uklonskovite | NaMg(SO4)F · 2H2O |
| 7.DF.10 | Kainite | KMg(SO4)Cl · 3H2O |
| 7.DF.10 | Kaliochalcite | KCu2(SO4)2[(OH)(H2O)] |
| 7.DF.15 | Natrochalcite | NaCu2(SO4)2(OH) · 2H2O |
| 7.DF.17 | Genplesite | Ca3Sn(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O |
| 7.DF.17 | 'Unnamed (Ba-Sb Silicate-Sulphate-Hydroxide-Hydrate)' | Ba3Sb5+[(Si,S)O3(OH)]2(OH,O)6 · 3H2O |
| 7.DF.20 | Sideronatrite | Na2Fe(SO4)2(OH) · 3H2O |
| 7.DF.20 | Metasideronatrite | Na2Fe(SO4)2(OH) · H2O |
| 7.DF.25 | Fleischerite | Pb3Ge(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O |
| 7.DF.25 | Mallestigite | Pb3Sb5+(SO4)(AsO4)(OH)6 · 3H2O |
| 7.DF.25 | Schaurteite | Ca3Ge(SO4)2(OH)6 · 4H2O |
| 7.DF.25 | Despujolsite | Ca3Mn4+(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O |
| 7.DF.30 | Slavíkite | (H3O+)3Mg6Fe15(SO4)21(OH)18 · 98H2O |
| 7.DF.35 | Metavoltine | K2Na6Fe2+Fe3+6O2(SO4)12 · 18H2O |
| 7.DF.40 | Lannonite | Mg2Ca4Al4(SO4)8F8 · 24H2O |
| 7.DF.40 | Vlodavetsite | AlCa2(SO4)2F2Cl · 4H2O |
| 7.DF.45 | Peretaite | Ca(SbO)4(SO4)2(OH)2 · 2H2O |
| 7.DF.50 | Gordaite | NaZn4(SO4)(OH)6Cl · 6H2O |
| 7.DF.52 | Huizingite-(Al) | [(NH4)9(SO4)2][(Al,Fe3+)3(OH)2(H2O)4(SO4)6] |
| 7.DF.52 | Scordariite | K8(Fe3+0.67◻0.33)[Fe3+3O(SO4)6]2 · 14H2O |
| 7.DF.55 | Clairite | (NH4)2Fe3(SO4)4(OH)3 · 3H2O |
| 7.DF.55 | Giacovazzoite | K5Fe3+3O(SO4)6 · 10H2O |
| 7.DF.57 | Magnanelliite | K3Fe3+2(SO4)4(OH)(H2O)2 |
| 7.DF.60 | Arzrunite | Cu4Pb2(SO4)(OH)4Cl6 · 2H2O (?) |
| 7.DF.60 | Evdokimovite | Tl4(VO)3(SO4)5(H2O)5 |
| 7.DF.62 | Bridgesite-(Ce) | CaCe2Cu6(SO4)4(OH)12 · 8H2O |
| 7.DF.65 | Elyite | Pb4Cu(SO4)O2(OH)4 · H2O |
| 7.DF.70 | Yecoraite | Fe3+3Bi5(Te6+O4)2(Te4+O3)O9 · 9H2O |
| 7.DF.70 | Lautenthalite | PbCu4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O |
| 7.DF.75 | Riomarinaite | Bi(SO4)(OH) · H2O |
| 7.DF.80 | Dukeite | Bi3+24Cr6+8O57(OH)6 · 3H2O |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Calamaite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-50334.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
References for Calamaite
Reference List:
Hålenius, U., Hatert, F., Pasero, M., Mills, S. J. (2016) New minerals and nomenclature modifications approved in 2016, CNMNC Newsletter No. 33. Mineralogical Magazine, 80 (6) 1135-1144 doi:10.1180/minmag.2016.080.085
Pekov, Igor V., Siidra, Oleg I., Chukanov, Nikita V., Yapaskurt, Vasiliy O., Belakovskiy, Dmitry I., Turchkova, Anna G., Möhn, Gerhard (2018) Calamaite, a new natural titanium sulfate from the Alcaparrosa mine, Calama, Antofagasta region, Chile. European Journal of Mineralogy, 30 (4) 801-809 doi:10.1127/ejm/2018/0030-2738
Localities for Calamaite
Showing 1 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Chile (TL) | |
| Hålenius et al. (2016) +2 other references |
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Alcaparrosa Mine, Sierra Gorda, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta, Chile