Babingtonite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Babingtonite
William Babington
Formula:
Ca2Fe2+Fe3+Si5O14(OH)
Colour:
Dark greenish-black
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
5½ - 6
Specific Gravity:
3.34 - 3.37
Crystal System:
Triclinic
Member of:
Name:
Named after Dr. William Babington (May 21, 1756 Portglenone, near Coleraine, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK - April 29, 1833 London, England, UK), physician and mineralogist, curator of the John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute mineral collection until 1792, founding member and President (from 1822 to 1824) of the Geological Society of London and author of noted systematic books on mineralogy (1796, 1799).
Type Locality:
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
478
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:478:3
IMA Classification of Babingtonite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
First published:
1824
Type description reference:
Classification of Babingtonite
9.DK.05
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
K : Inosilicates with 5-periodic single chains
9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
K : Inosilicates with 5-periodic single chains
65.4.1.2
65 : INOSILICATES Single-Width,Unbranched Chains,(W=1)
4 : Single-Width Unbranched Chains, W=1 with chains P=5
65 : INOSILICATES Single-Width,Unbranched Chains,(W=1)
4 : Single-Width Unbranched Chains, W=1 with chains P=5
14.18.38
14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
18 : Silicates of Mn and Na, K, Mg, Ca or Fe
14 : Silicates not Containing Aluminum
18 : Silicates of Mn and Na, K, Mg, Ca or Fe
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Bab | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
| Bab | Whitney & Evans (2010) | Whitney, D.L. and Evans, B.W. (2010) Abbreviations for names of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 95, 185–187 doi:10.2138/am.2010.3371 |
Pronunciation of Babingtonite
Pronunciation:
| Play | Recorded by | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Babingtonite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Dark greenish-black
Hardness:
5½ - 6 on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Perfect
Perfect on {001}
Good on {010} and {100}
Perfect on {001}
Good on {010} and {100}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
3.34 - 3.37 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.26 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Babingtonite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.700(3) nβ = 1.710(3) nγ = 1.725(3)
2V:
Measured: 50° (2), Calculated: 76°
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.025
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.
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.
Surface Relief:
Moderate
Dispersion:
r > v strong
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
X= deep green
Y= lilac-brown
Z= pale to deep brown
Y= lilac-brown
Z= pale to deep brown
Chemistry of Babingtonite
Mindat Formula:
Ca2Fe2+Fe3+Si5O14(OH)
Element Weights:
Common Impurities:
Ti,Al,Mg,Na
Crystallography of Babingtonite
Crystal System:
Triclinic
Class (H-M):
1 - Pinacoidal
Space Group:
P1
Cell Parameters:
a = 7.50(1) Å, b = 12.18(1) Å, c = 6.68(1) Å
α = 86.3°, β = 93.59°, γ = 112.19°
α = 86.3°, β = 93.59°, γ = 112.19°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.616 : 1 : 0.548
Unit Cell V:
563.36 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2
Morphology:
Stubby, prismatic striated crystals
Crystallographic forms of Babingtonite
Crystal Atlas:
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Babingtonite no.1 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by
www.smorf.nl.
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Crystal Structure
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0020457 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Kouraghana, Japan | 0 | 293 | |
| 0020456 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Brastad mine, Norway | 0 | 293 | |
| 0020455 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Baveno quarry, Italy | 0 | 293 | |
| 0020454 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Kandivali quarry, India | 0 | 293 | |
| 0020453 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Gronsjoberget, Sweden | 0 | 293 | |
| 0020452 | Babingtonite | Nagashima M, Mitani K, Akasaka M (2014) Structural variation of babingtonite depending on cation distribution at the octahedral sites Mineralogy and Petrology 108 287-301 | 2014 | Yakuri mine, Japan | 0 | 293 | |
| 0018476 | Babingtonite | Armbruster T (2000) Cation distribution in Mg, Mn-bearing babingtonite from Arvigo, Val Calanca, Grisons, Switzerland Schweizerische Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen 80 279-284 | 2000 | Westfield, Massachusetts, USA | 0 | 293 | |
| 0018475 | Babingtonite | Armbruster T (2000) Cation distribution in Mg, Mn-bearing babingtonite from Arvigo, Val Calanca, Grisons, Switzerland Schweizerische Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen 80 279-284 | 2000 | Arvigo, Val Calanca, Grisons, Switzerland | 0 | 293 | |
| 0018474 | Babingtonite | Armbruster T (2000) Cation distribution in Mg, Mn-bearing babingtonite from Arvigo, Val Calanca, Grisons, Switzerland Schweizerische Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen 80 279-284 | 2000 | Arvigo, Val Calanca, Grisons, Switzerland | 0 | 293 | |
| 0010730 | Babingtonite | Araki T, Zoltai T (1972) Crystal structure of babingtonite Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 135 355-373 |  | 1972 | Yakuki mine, Japan | 0 | 293 |
| 0018508 | Babingtonite | Tagai T, Joswig W, Fuess H (1990) Neutron diffraction study of babingtonite at 80 K Mineralogical Journal 15 8-18 | 1990 | Yakuki mine, Japan | 0 | 80 | |
| 0018478 | Babingtonite | Kosoi A L (1975) Structure of babingtonite Kristallografiya 20 730-739 | 1975 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0018477 | Babingtonite | Kosoi A L (1975) Structure of babingtonite Kristallografiya 20 730-739 | 1975 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
Epitaxial Relationships of Babingtonite
Epitaxial Minerals:
| 'Hedenbergite' | CaFe2+Si2O6 |
| 'Scandiobabingtonite' | (Ca,Na)2(Fe2+,Mn)(Sc,Fe3+)Si5O14(OH) |
Epitaxy Comments:
Hedenbergite whiskers epitaxial on babingtonite (Nagashima and Nishio-Hamane, 2018).
Platy crystals of scandiobabingtonite forming a thin rim around green-black prismatic crystals of babingtonite at Seula Mine, Italy (Orlandi et al. 1998).
Platy crystals of scandiobabingtonite forming a thin rim around green-black prismatic crystals of babingtonite at Seula Mine, Italy (Orlandi et al. 1998).
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Loading XRD data...
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.75 Å | (100) |
| 2.87 Å | (80) |
| 3.12 Å | (70) |
| 2.17 Å | (60) |
| 2.95 Å | (60b) |
| 2.47 Å | (50) |
| 6.69 Å | (40) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| High-? alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 31 : Thermally altered carbonate, phosphate, and iron formations | |
| 32 : Ba/Mn/Pb/Zn deposits, including metamorphic deposits | |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 34 : Complex granite pegmatites |
Geological Setting:
Veins cutting granitic pegmatites and diorites, cavities and vugs in mafic volcanic rocks and gneisses, skarns.
Type Occurrence of Babingtonite
Other Language Names for Babingtonite
Dutch:Babingtoniet
French:Babingtonite
German:Babingtonit
Norwegian:Babingtonitt
Russian:Бабингтонит
Spanish:Babingtonita
Relationship of Babingtonite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of Babingtonite Group:
| Manganbabingtonite | Ca2Mn2+Fe3+Si5O14(OH) | Tric. 1 : P1 |
| Scandiobabingtonite | (Ca,Na)2(Fe2+,Mn)(Sc,Fe3+)Si5O14(OH) | Tric. |
Forms a series with:
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 527 photos of Babingtonite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 511 photos of Babingtonite associated with Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| 247 photos of Babingtonite associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
| 93 photos of Babingtonite associated with Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| 42 photos of Babingtonite associated with Heulandite-Ca | (Ca,Na)5(Si27Al9)O72 · 26H2O |
| 35 photos of Babingtonite associated with Heulandite Subgroup | (Na/Ca/K)5-6[Al8-9 Si27-28 O72] · nH2O |
| 29 photos of Babingtonite associated with Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| 28 photos of Babingtonite associated with Stilbite-Ca | NaCa4(Si27Al9)O72 · 28H2O |
| 27 photos of Babingtonite associated with Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| 24 photos of Babingtonite associated with Apophyllite Group | AB4[Si8O20]X · 8H2O |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 9.DK. | Ferrorhodonite | CaMn3Fe[Si5O15] |
| 9.DK. | Vittinkiite | MnMn3Mn[Si5O15] |
| 9.DK. | Ferri-hellandite-(Ce) | (Ca3Ce)Ce2Fe3+◻2B4Si4O22(OH)2 |
| 9.DK. | Shijiangshanite | Pb3CaAl(Si5O14)(OH)3 · 3H2O |
| 9.DK.05 | Nambulite | LiMn2+4Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Marsturite | NaCaMn3Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Natronambulite | (Na,Li)(Mn,Ca)4Si5O14OH |
| 9.DK.05 | Rhodonite | CaMn3Mn[Si5O15] |
| 9.DK.05 | Scandiobabingtonite | (Ca,Na)2(Fe2+,Mn)(Sc,Fe3+)Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Lithiomarsturite | LiCaMn3Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Manganbabingtonite | Ca2Mn2+Fe3+Si5O14(OH) |
| 9.DK.05 | Fowlerite | (Mn2+,Zn,Ca)SiO3 |
| 9.DK.10 | Santaclaraite | CaMn4[Si5O14OH](OH) · H2O |
| 9.DK.15 | Saneroite | NaMn2+5[Si5O14(OH)](VO3)(OH) |
| 9.DK.20 | Ferri-mottanaite-(Ce) | Ca4Ce2Fe3+(Be1.5◻0.5)[Si4B4O22]O2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Tadzhikite-(Ce) | Ca4Ce3+2Ti◻2(B4Si4O22)(OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | 'Hellandite-(Yb)' | (Ca,Y)4(Yb,Y)2(Al,Fe3+,Ti4+)(Be,Li)2[B4Si4O22](O,F,OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Mottanaite-(Ce) | Ca4(Ce,REE)Σ2Al(Be1.5◻0.5)Σ2[B4Si4O22]O2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Ciprianiite | Ca4[(Th,U),Ca]Σ2Al(Be0.5◻1.5)Σ2[B4Si4O22](OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Hellandite-(Y) | (Ca,REE)4Y2Al◻2(B4Si4O22) (OH)2 |
| 9.DK.20 | Hellandite-(Ce) | (Ca,REE)4Ce2Al◻2(B4Si4O22) (OH)2 |
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 Babingtonite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-478.html
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References for Babingtonite
Reference List:
Palache, Charles (1936) Babingtonite and epidote from Westfield, Massachusetts. American Mineralogist, 21 (10) 652-655
Araki, Takaharu, Zoltai, Tibor (1972) Crystal structure of babingtonite. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie - Crystalline Materials, 135 (5) 355-373 doi:10.1524/zkri.1972.135.5-6.355
Czank, M. (1981) Chain periodicity faults in babingtonite, Ca2Fe2+Fe3+H[Si5O15]. Acta Crystallographica Section A, 37 (5) 617-620 doi:10.1107/s0567739481001423
Birch, W. D. (1983) Babingtonite, fluorapophyllite and sphene from Harcourt, Victoria, Australia. Mineralogical Magazine, 47 (344) 377-380 doi:10.1180/minmag.1983.047.344.14
Duggan, M. B. (1986) Babingtonite and Fe-rich Ca-Al silicates from western Southland, New Zealand. Mineralogical Magazine, 50 (358). 657-665 doi:10.1180/minmag.1986.050.358.11
Burns, Roger G., Dyar, M. Darby (1991) Crystal chemistry and Mössbauer spectra of babingtonite. American Mineralogist, 76 (5-6) 892-899
Janeczek, Janusz, Sachanbinski, Michael (1992) Babingtonite, Y-Al-rich titanite, and zoned epidote from the Strzegom pegmatites, Poland. European Journal of Mineralogy, 4 (2) 307-320 doi:10.1127/ejm/4/2/0307
Orlandi, Paolo, Pasero, Marco, Vezzalini, Giovanna (1998) Scandiobabingtonite, a new mineral from the Baveno pegmatite, Piedmont, Italy. American Mineralogist, 83 (11) 1330-1334 doi:10.2138/am-1998-11-1222 (epitaxy)
Cepedal, Antonia, Moreiras, Dámaso, Martín-Izard, Agustín, González-Nistal, Santiago, Rodríguez-Pevida, Luis (2004) The occurrence and origin of babingtonite in the El Valle-Boina's Cu-Au deposit in Asturias, Spain. European Journal of Mineralogy, 15 (6) 1069-1077 doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2003/0015-1069
AKASAKA, Masahide, KIMURA, Takehiko, NAGASHIMA, Mariko (2013) X-ray Rietveld and 57Fe Mössbauer study of babingtonite from Kouragahana, Shimane Peninsula, Japan. Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences, 108 (3). 121-130 doi:10.2465/jmps.120714
Localities for Babingtonite
Showing 183 localities.
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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.
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Babingtonite occurrences, Qiaojia County, Zhaotong, Yunnan, China