Home > Laskowski Ⅶ – August 10 > MS1942 Catapleiite
Catapleiite - Sold
- Rischorr Gorge
- Khibiny Massif
- Kola Peninsula
- Russia
- 5.5 × 3.3 × 2.4 cm – Miniature specimen (fits into a 5 cm cube)
Catapleiite is a hydrous sodium zirconium silicate. The mineral is monoclinic with distinct hexagonal pseudosymmetry. Its crystals look like hexagonal plates. Weibye et al. (1850) originally described the mineral, naming the species using Greek roots kata, and pleios, with and many, because catapleiite occurs with so many other species.
This is a matrix specimen of catapleiite blades to 1.4 cm across on feldspar matrix. Nice for the locality. From the collection of E.R. Laskowski (1949-2020), a mining engineer who retired to Tucson, Arizona.
