Kurchatovite

Discovered in 1965; IMA status: Valid (IMA Approved 1966)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

Ca(Mg,Mn²⁺,Fe²⁺)B₂O₅

Calcium Magnesium Manganese Iron Borate

Molecular Weight:

178.34 gm

Composition:

Calcium

22.47 %

Ca

31.44 %

CaO

Magnesium

8.18 %

Mg

13.56 %

MgO

Manganese

9.24 %

Mn

11.93 %

MnO

Iron

3.13 %

Fe

4.03 %

FeO

Boron

12.12 %

B

39.04 %

B₂O₃

Oxygen

44.86 %

O

100.00 %

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Borates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

5/H.01-30

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

6.BA.10

6 : BORATES
B : Diborates
A : Neso-diborates with double triangles B₂(O,OH)₅; 2(2D); 2(2D) + OH, etc.

Related to:

Dimorph of Clinokurchatovite.

Varieties:

None

Synonyms:

ICSD 200803, IMA1965-034, PDF 43-689

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Orthorhombic - Disphenoidal

Crystal Habit:

Granular, to 4 mm.

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

One perfect, parallel elongation; two others, imperfect.

Fracture:

n/a

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

4.5

Density:

3.20 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

Fluorescent; bright violet under long wave UV light

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Optical Properties

Color:

Pale gray

Transparency:

Semitransparent to transparent

Luster:

Vitreous

Refractive Index:

1.635 - 1.698  Biaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.063

Dispersion:

None

Pleochroism:

Slight; r > v

Occurances

Geological Setting:

In an iron-bearing skarn (Solongo deposit, Russia).

Common Associations:

Clinokurchatovite, Szaibélyite, Solongoite, Hexahydroborite, Calcite, Chlorite, Vesuvianite, Garnet, Svabite, Magnetite, Sphalerite (Solongo deposit, Russia).

Common Impurities:

None

Type Locality:

Solongo B deposit, Vitim Plateau, Buriatia Republic (Buryatia), Transbaikalia (Zabaykalye), Eastern-Siberian Region, Russia

Year Discovered:

1965

View mineral photos:

Kurchatovite Mineral Photos and Locations

Unusual Gem Categories

Fluorescent Gems

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Kurchatovite is a very rare borate mineral that was discovered in 1965 at the Solongo B deposit, Vitim Plateau, Buriatia Republic, Transbaikalia, Eastern-Siberian Region, Russia. This is the only location for Kurchatovite. It is typically found in a matrix of white Dolomite as granular crystals to about 4 mm in shades of pale gray with vitreous luster and Mohs hardness of about 4.5.

Kurchatovite is named after Igor Vasil’evich Kurchatov (1903–1960), Russian physicist, Institute of Nuclear Energy, Moscow, Russia. Kurchatov was a Soviet nuclear physicist who was the director of the Soviet atomic bomb project and is remembered as the "father of the Soviet atomic bomb" for his directorial role in the development of the Soviet nuclear program in a clandestine program during World War II.

Kurchatovite distribution: in Russia, from the Solongo boron deposit, Buryatia, and at the Novofrolovskoye copper deposit, near Krasnoturinsk, Turinsk district, Northern Ural Mountains.

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