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Anatase
Current inventory:  2 gems
 

Anatase

  
Anatase is named from the Greek word anatasis, meaning extension referring to the length of the pyradimal faces of crystals being longer in relation to their bases than in many other Tetragonal minerals.

Discovered in 1801;   IMA status:  Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered)

 

Chemistry

 

 

Chemical Formula:

TiO2

 

Titanium Oxide

Molecular Weight:

79.88 gm

Composition:

Titanium

59.94 %

Ti

100.00 %

TiO2

 

Oxygen

40.06 %

O

 

 

 

 

100.00 %

 

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

 

 

Classification

   

   

Mineral Classification:

Oxides

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

4/D.14-10

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

4.DD.05

 

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
D : Metal: Oxygen = 1:2 and similar
D : With medium-sized cations; frameworks of edge-sharing octahedra

Related to:

None

Members of Group:

None

Varieties:

Gel-Anatase, Niobian Anatase

Synonyms:

Dauphinite, Hydrotitanite, Octaèdrite, Octahedrite, Oisanite, Schorl bleu indigo, Schorl octaedre rectanglaire, Wiserine, Xanthotitane

 

 

Crystal Data

   

   

Crystallography:

Tetragonal - Ditetragonal Dipyramidal

Crystal Habit:

Crystals typically acute dipyramidal, often highly modified; obtuse pyramidal or tabular; less commonly prismatic, to 3.75 cm.

Twinning:

Rare on {112}

 

 

Physical Properties

   

 

Cleavage:

Perfect on {001} and {011}

Fracture:

Sub-Conchoidal

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

5.5 - 6.0; VHN = 616–698 (100 g load)

Density:

3.82 - 3.97 (g/cm3)

Luminescence:

None

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

 

 

Optical Properties

   

   

Color:

Brown, pale Yellow or Reddish Brown, Indigo, Black; pale Green, pale Lilac, Gray, rarely nearly Colorless; Brown, Yellow-Brown, pale Green, Blue in transmitted light.

Transparency:

Transparent when light colored, to nearly opaque when deeply colored. Pyramidal crystals may appear opaque because of total reflection.

Luster:

Adamantine to Splendent, Metallic

Refractive Index:

2.488 - 2.564 (very high)  Uniaxial ( - ) anomalously biaxial in deeply colored crystals

Birefringence:

0.046 - 0.067

Dispersion:

0.213 - 0.259 (very high)

Pleochroism:

Weak; stronger in deeply colored crystals

 

 

Occurances

   

   

Geological Setting:

Usually secondary, derived from other titanium-bearing minerals. In Alpine veins, derived from the enclosing gneisses or schists by hydrothermal solutions. In igneous and metamorphic rocks; in pegmatites; from a carbonatite. A common detrital mineral.

Common Associations:

Brookite, Rutile, Titanite, Ilmenite, Titanian Magnetite, Hematite, Quartz.

Common Impurities:

Fe, Sn, V, Nb

Type Locality:

St. Christophe-en-Oisans, Bourg d'Oisans, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France

Year Discovered:

1801

View mineral photos:

Anatase Mineral Photos and Locations

 

 

More Information

   

   

 

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

 

 


Anatase is an extremely rare gem mainly because crystals are usually very dark, seldom transparent and small. Anatase has very high dispersion and RI, but its dark color usually masks these. Lighter colored gems are quite bright and beautiful and among the rarest of all gems. Anatase is one of the three forms of Titanium Dioxide found as gemstones. The other two are Brookite and 
Rutile. This means that the three minerals have the same chemistry, TiO2, but they have different structures.

Anatase is a very wide-spread mineral, however only a few occurrences can be noted. In Alpine veins at many localities throughout the Swiss, French, and Italian and Tirolian Alps: large crystals from Binn, Valais, and at Cavradi, Tavetsch, Graubünden, Switzerland. From LaGrave, Hautes-Alpes, and Bourg d’Oisans, Isère, France. In Norway, at Kragerø; fine crystals from Hardangervidda, Ullensvang; Slidre, Valdres; and Gudbrandsdalen. From the Khodrovy Mountains, Sakha, Russia. In the Virtuous Lady mine, Devonshire, England. At Fron Oleu, near Tremadog, Gwynned, Wales. In several carbonatite deposits, aggregating 500 million tons, in Minas Gerais and Pará, Brazil. In the USA, at many localities in Burke County, North Carolina; Buckingham County, Virginia; from Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts; at Placerville, Eldorado County, California. In Canada, at Sherbrooke Township, Nova Scotia, and in Henvey Township, Ontario.
 

  
Anatase gems for sale:

Anatase-001

Gem:

Anatase

Stock #:

ANAT-001

Weight:

0.109 ct

Size:

2.82 x 1.93 mm

Shape:

Round Brilliant

Color:

Bright Orangish Yellow

Clarity:

Eye Clean

Origin:

Minas Gerais, Brazil

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

$46.00

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Anatase-001

A rare gem that is very bright and beautiful example of a Titanium Dioxide gem.


Anatase-002

Gem:

Anatase

Stock #:

ANAT-002

Weight:

0.3845 ct

Size:

5.25 x 3.88 x 2.54 mm

Shape:

Free form

Color:

Dark Golden Yellow

Clarity:

VSI

Origin:

Minas Gerais, Brazil

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

$96.00    [ Make an offer ]

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Anatase-002

A rare gem that is very bright and beautiful example of a Titanium Dioxide gem.


 


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