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The new zeolite martinandresite, ideally Ba2(Al4Si12O32)·10H2O, was discovered in the armenite locality of Wasenalp near the Isenwegg peak, Ganter valley, Simplon region, Switzerland. The associated minerals are armenite, quartz, dickite, and chlorite. Martinandresite forms tan-coloured blocky crystals up to 8 × 5 × 3.5 mm, their aggregates up to 6 cm across, as well as cruciform twins up to 3.5 mm. The major form is {010}; the subordinate forms are {100} and {001}. Indistinct cleavage is observed, presumably on (010) and in a direction across (010). The Mohs’ hardness is 4½. Density measured by flotation in heavy liquids is 2.482(5) g/cm3. Density calculated using the empirical formula is equal to 2.495 g/cm3. Martinandresite is optically biaxial, negative, α = 1.500(2), β = 1.512(2), γ = 1.515(2) (λ = 589 nm). 2V (meas.) = 55(10)°. The IR spectrum is given. The chemical composition of martinandresite is (wt%; electron microprobe, H2O determined by the modified Penfield method): Na2O 0.37, K2O 0.12, BaO 21.55, Al2O3 15.03, SiO2 49.86, H2O 12.57, total 99.50. The empirical formula based on 16 atoms Si + Al pfu is Na0.17K0.04Ba2.00(Al4.19Si11.81O32)H19.85O9.93. The crystal structure was determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The new mineral is orthorhombic, space group Pmmn, with a = 9.4640(5), b = 14.2288(6), c = 6.9940(4) Å, V = 941.82(8) Å3 and Z = 1. The crystal structure of martinandresite is unique and is based on the Al-Si-O tetrahedral framework containing four-, six- and eight-membered rings of tetrahedra. Si and Al are disordered between the two independent tetrahedral sites. The strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, Å (I, %) (hkl)] are: 6.98 (74) (001), 6.26 (83) (011), 5.61 (100) (101), 3.933 (60) (220, 031), 3.191 (50) (112), 3.170 (62) (041), 3.005 (79) (231, 141). Martinandresite is named after Martin Andres (b. 1965), the discoverer of the armenite locality of Wasenalp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article mentions several minerals including albertiniite which occurs on the surface of quartz, bosiite which is the tourmaline supergroup mineral discovered in Russia, and coldwellite whose crystal structure can be described as terms of anion-based coordination polyhedral.

The new mineral zilbermintsite-(La), ideally (CaLa5)(Fe3+Al3Fe2+)[Si2O7][SiO4]5O(OH)3, was found in a single polymineralic nodule from the Mochalin Log REE deposit, Chelyabinsk Oblast, South Urals, Russia. Zilbermintsite-(La) forms anhedral grains up to 0.65 × 0.20 mm at the contact of ferriperbøeite-(La), törnebohmite-(La) and ferriallanite-(Ce). Other associated minerals include bastnäsite-(La), biraite-(La), ferriallanite-(La), ferriperbøeite-(Ce), fluorbritholite-(Ce), monazite-(La), perbøeite-(La), percleveite-(Ce), percleveite-(La), perrierite-(Ce), perrierite-(La), thorianite, thorite and quartz. The new mineral is light brown, translucent in thin fragments with a vitreous lustre. It is brittle, with good {100} cleavage. Mohs hardness is ca. 6. D calc = 4.684 g cm–3. Optically, zilbermintsite-(La) is biaxial (+), α = 1.805(7), β = 1.812(7) and γ = 1.867(8) (589 nm); 2Vmeas = 40(15)° and 2Vcalc = 40°. The empirical formula based on O28(OH,F)3 apfu is (Ca0.94La2.56Ce2.18Nd0.20Pr0.10Th0.02)Σ6.00(Al2.96Fe3+0.90Fe2+0.64Mg0.34Mn0.13Ti0.03)Σ5.00Si7.00O28[(OH)2.42F0.58]. Zilbermintsite-(La) is monoclinic, P 21/ m ; the unit-cell parameters are: a = 8.9605(5), b = 5.7295(2), c = 25.1033(13) Å, β = 116.616(7), V = 1152.21(12) Å3 and Z = 2. The crystal structure of zilbermintsite-(La) is solved from the single-crystal X-ray diffraction data [ R = 0.0757 for 2857 unique reflections with I > 2σ(I)]. The new mineral is isotypic to radekškodaite-(La) and radekškodaite-(Ce) and together with them forms the newly defined radekškodaite group. All members of this group possess the ET2 type structure where one epidote-type module (E) regularly alternates with two törnebohmite-type modules (T). The new mineral honours Professor Veniamin A. Zilbermints (1887–1939) who was a pioneer of the study of the Mochalin Log deposit. The Levinson suffix-modifier -(La) indicates the predominance of La among rare-earth elements in the mineral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]