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Phenakite

Year of discovery: 1833 (Izumrudnye Kopi area, Russia), 1939 (Japan)

Locality list: 11 localities of phenakite

• Be₂SiO₄
• [Be²⁺₂][SiO₄]^4-

• Class: Phenakite group
• Class: Nesosilicate
• Insoluble in: Water, HCl

• Be => Zn: Willemite
• Be => Mg: Forsterite
• Be => Fe: Fayalite
• Be => Ni: Liebenbergite
• Be => Mn: Tephroite

• Be₂ => CaMg: Monticellite
• Be₂ => CaMn: Glaucochroite
• Be₂ => CaFe: Kirschsteinite
• Be₂ => LiAl: Eucryptite

• Color: Colorless
• Streak: White
• Luster: Vitreous
• Diaphaneity: Transparent

• Habit: Tabular, Acicular

• Cleavage: Distinct on {11-20} (3 planes), Imperfect on {1011} (3 planes)
• Hardness: 7.5-8
• Density: 3.0

• System: Trigonal
• Group: (-3), R(-3)
• Lattice: a=12.4, c=8.2

Etymology: Phenax (Deceiver) in Greek.

Synonym: Phenacite