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Jenakite (variety of Nuummite)
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

Jenakite

  
The origin of Jenakite's name is unknown. I have heard that it is named after a village in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania near where this unusual stone was discovered but cannot confirm this.

Discovered in 2009; IMA status: Not Valid (trade name)

 

Chemistry

 

 

Chemical Formula:

(Mg2)(Mg5)Si8O22(OH)2 + Ti

 

Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide + titanium

 

 

More Information

   

   

 

Jenakite is a variety of Nuummite.
For more information please see the
Nuummite information page.
 

Synonyms:

Jenakite, Nuummite, Sahara Nuummite

 

 


Jenakite, also called
Sahara Nuummite, is a variety of Nuummite which is an unapproved name for a metamorphic orthoamphibole rock consisting primarily of two amphiboles - Anthophyllite and Gedrite. Nuummite was discovered in Greenland in 1982 and was only known to occur in Greenland until 2009 when a new source of gem-quality iridescent orthoamphibole was discovered in the Sahara Desert of central Mauritania.

Several samples of this new material were donated to GIA by Scott Davies of American-Thai Trading in Bangkok. This Nuummite from Mauritania has iridescence that is mostly blue to bluish green, although some stones show golden yellow and a small percentage are a highly desirable pure blue. Unlike the original Greenland rocks, the new Sahara Nuummite often has a high density of needles, some of which can show a quite attractive blue color. The blue color is said to be due to the presence of titanium. The stones take a good polish, but cutting the material is challenging as the colorful iridescent needles only appear in very thin planes with a very narrow viewing orientation in the rough making yields low.

Raman spectra of the iridescent laths were consistent with Anthophyllite and Gedrite, which are orthorhombic members in the magnesium-iron-manganese-lithium amphibole group. Testing confirmed that the flashy needles are in fact the amphibole Anthophyllite, the main component of Nuummite. The samples had RI measurements between 1.649 and 1.669, consistent with the Raman identification. Hydrostatic specific gravity was 2.98 ± 0.05, and the samples were inert to long- and short-wave UV radiation.
 

  
Jenakite gems for sale:

We have not photographed our Jenakite gems. Please check back soon.
 

 


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