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Manganvesuvianite and tweddillite, two new Mn3+-silicate minerals from the Kalahari manganese fields, South Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

T. Armbruster ,
E. Gnos ,
R. Dixon ,
J. Gutzmer ,
C. Hejny ,
N. Döbelin  and
O. Medenbach
T. Armbruster*
Affiliation:
Laboratorium für chemische und mineralogische Kristallographie, Universität Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
E. Gnos
Affiliation:
Mineralogisch-Petrographisches Institut, Baltzerstrasse 1, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
R. Dixon
Affiliation:
Private Bag X620, Pretoria 0001, Republic of South Africa
J. Gutzmer
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Rand Afrikaans University, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, Republic of South Africa
C. Hejny
Affiliation:
Laboratorium für chemische und mineralogische Kristallographie, Universität Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
N. Döbelin
Affiliation:
Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Geophysik, Ruhr-Universität, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
O. Medenbach
Affiliation:
Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Geophysik, Ruhr-Universität, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
*
*E-mail: thomas.armbruster@krist.unibe.ch
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Abstract

The new minerals manganvesuviante and tweddillite, both formed by hydrothermal alteration of primary manganese ores, are described from the Kalahari manganese fields (Republic of South Africa). In addition, single-crystal X-ray structure refinements of both new minerals are presented.

Manganvesuvianite is a tetragonal vesuvianite mineral with the simplified formula Ca19Mn3+(Al,Mn3+,Fe3+)10(Mg,Mn2+)2Si18O69(OH)9, characterized by Mn3+ occupying the five-coordinated position (square pyramid). The crystals simple prismatic forms: {100}, {110} terminated by {101} and exhibit deep maroon red colour. With polarized light the crystals are strongly pleochroic, yellowish parallel to E and dark red to lilac parallel to O.

Tweddillite is an epidote-group mineral (space group P21/m, a = 8.932(5), b = 5.698(4), c = 10.310(5) Å, β = 114.56(4), V = 477.3(8) Å3) with the simplified formula CaSr(Mn3+,Fe3+)2Al[Si3O12](OH), closely related to strontiopiemontite. The difference between strontiopiemontite and tweddillite is the concentration of octahedral Mn3+. Strontiopiemontite has Mn3+ mainly on the M3 site whereas tweddillite has Mn3+ with minor Fe3+ on M3 and M1. Tweddillite forms aggregates of very thin dark red {001} blades characterized by striking pleochroism. The crystals appear dark red parallel to b and orange-yellow parallel to a. Perpendicular to (001) the blades appear magenta to red.

Keywords

manganvesuvianitetweddilliteKalahari, manganese fieldsSouth Africaepidote groupvesuvianite
Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 66 , Issue 1 , February 2002 , pp. 137 - 150
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2002

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