Glendonite (variety of Calcite)
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

  
Glendonite is a variety of Calcite named after the locality where it was originally reported in 1905: Glendon, New South Wales, Australia.

First reported in 1905; IMA status: Not Valid (variety name)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

CaCO₃

Calcium Carbonate

More Information

Glendonitte is a variety of Calcite.
For more information please see the Calcite information page.
 

Synonyms:

Fundylite, Gennoishi, Gersternkorner, Jarrowite, The "melting mineral", Molekryds, Pseudogaylussite, Rose Rock, Thinolite, White Sea Hornlets.

Type Locality:

Glendon, New South Wales, Australia

Year Discovered:

First reported in 1905

View mineral photos:

Glendonite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information:

Mindat.org (Glendonite)
Mindat.org (Calcite)
Mindat.org (Ikaite)

Glendonite is a variety of Calcite pseudomorphed after Ikaite. A pseudomorph is a mineral with the external crystal form of one mineral and the internal chemistry of another. Ikaite is the hydrated version of Calcite, or Calcite is the dehydrated version of Ikaite. The chemical formual for Ikaite is CaCO3·6H2O. The chemical formual for Calite is CaCO3, the same as for Ikaite but without the H2O. Ikaite readily dehydrates to Calcite in temperatures above 8°C and is typically found in near-freezing water in deep sea locations or locations of cold seeps. A cold seep, sometimes called a cold vent, occurs over cracks and fissures in the sea floor caused by tectonic activity. These seeps allow hydrogen sulfide, methane and other hydrocarbon-rich fluids to "seep" from the earth. Ikaite is formed from the calcium carbonate-rich mixture at the seeps.

When Ikaite is removed from its natural cold water environment, it rapidly disintegrates into anhydrous calcium carbonate and water, earning it the nickname "the melting mineral". The resulting pseudomorph of Calcite after Ikaite is called "Glendonite" after the location where it was first reported in 1905, Glendon, New South Wales, Australia. Ikaite is named for the type locality at the Ikka Fjord (formerly spelled Ika), Greenland.

Glendonite's most well know form is a radial arrangement of brown, reddish-brown or cinnamon-brown crystals. It has also been called the "rose rock" referring to the radial arrangement of the crystals giving it a flower-like appearance. Some have said the "spikey" habit of the crystals looks more like a pine cone. Calcite psuedomorphs after Ikaite are known by several other names as well. These names are often after specific locations such as Jarrowite named after Jarrow, Northumberland, UK, and Fundylite named for the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada. Other names are regionally derived referring to the crystal's unusual shapes such as Gersternkorner which is German for barleycorn and Gennoishi which is hammerstones in Japanese and Molekryds meaning mole cross in Danish. There are also the names White Sea Hornlets from the White Sea and Kola Peninsula, Russia and Thinolite from the Greek word thinos, meaning shore, from of the occurance in the tufa of Mono Lake, California, USA.

Glendonite distribution: in addition to the "type locality" at Glendon, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, Glendonite is also found at these locations in Australia: Hunter Valley, Durham County, NSW; Wallaby Gully, Quarrobolong, Northumberland County, NSW and Yerila Creek, North Flinders Ranges, South Australia. In Canada at Eureka, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut Territory. In Japan at Koudo, Ueda City, Nagano prefecture, Chubu region, Honshu Island. In Russia at the Olenitsa River, White Sea Coast, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region. In the USA at Mono Lake, Mono County, California; and in Washington at Altoona, Wahkiakum County, and Five Mile Quarry, Porter, Grays Harbor County.
 

  
Glendonite gems for sale:

We have not photographed our Glendonite gems yet. Please check back soon.