Nifontovite
Current inventory:  1 gem
 

  
Nifontovite is named in honor of Roman Vladimirovich Nifontov (1901–1960), Russian geologist who studied sedimentary and placer deposits.

Discovered in 1961;   IMA status:  Valid (IMA approved 1961)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

Ca₃B₆O₆(OH)₁₂·2(H₂O)

Hydrated Calcium Borate Hydroxide

Molecular Weight:

521.21 gm

Composition:

Calcium

23.07 %

Ca

32.28 %

CaO

Boron

12.44 %

B

40.07 %

B₂O₃

Hydrogen

3.09 %

H

27.65 %

H₂O

Oxygen

61.39 %

O

100.00 %

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Borates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

5/H.09-10

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

6.CA.50

6 : BORATES
C : Triborates
A : Neso-triborates

Related to:

n/a

Varieties:

None

Synonyms:

None

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Monoclinic

Crystal Habit:

Tabular crystals, to 6 cm; granular.

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

[???] Poor/Indistinct

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

3.5 - 5.0

Density:

2.74 - 2.95 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

Fluoresces violet under LW UV.

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Optical Properties

Color:

Colorless to Gray; Colorless in thin section.

Transparency:

Transparent to Semi-Transparent

Luster:

Vitreous

Refractive Index:

1.575 - 1.584  Biaxial ( + ); showing anomalous interference colors

Birefringence:

0.009

Dispersion:

Weak to Strong; r > v

Pleochroism:

None

Occurances

Geological Setting:

In a skarn formed by quartz diorite intruding limestone (Novofrolovskoye deposit, Russia); near gehlenite-spurrite skarn (Fuka, Japan).

Common Associations:

Calciborite, Calcite, Dolomite, Grossular–Andradite, Sibirskite, Szaibélyite (Novofrolovskoye deposit, Russia); Calcite, Olshanskyite, Pentahydroborite, Sibirskite (Fuka, Japan)

Common Impurities:

None

Type Locality:

Novofrolovskoye B-Cu deposit, Turjinsk, Turya river, Krasnoturjinsk (Bogolovsk; Krasnotur'insk; Krasnoturyinsk), Ekaterinburgskaya (Sverdlovskaya) Oblast', Middle Urals, Urals Region, Russia

Year Discovered:

1961 (IMA approved 1961)

View mineral photos:

Nifontovite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Nifontovite is a very rare Borate mineral that was discovered in 1961 in the Northern Ural Mountains of Russia. Gems are extremely rare. Until a recent find in Mexico, Nifontovite was rarely found in the Fuka mine, Okayama Prefecture on Honshu Island, Japan as opaque, lamellar aggregate material. The crystals recently found in Charcas, San Luis Potosí, Mexico are stunning, perfectly transparent, vitreous (glassy) gem crystals that are colorless and have a perfect termination.

Nifontovite is found in only three localities in the world: the Type Locality at Novofrolovskoye copper deposit, near Krasnoturinsk, Turinsk district, Northern Ural Mountains, Russia; Fuka mine, Bitchu-cho, Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture, Chugoku Region, Honshu Island, Japan; and relatively large, transparent crystals from Charcas, Mun. de Charcas, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
 

  
Nifontovite gems for sale: