Faceted Afghanite weighing 0.18 carat
Sar-e-Sang, Afghanistan
Colors:
Colorless to Blue.
Clarity: Type
II
Optic Character : Doubly Refractive, Hexagonal
Cause
of Color: Chromium
& Vanadium
Fracture
: Concoidal
Luster
: Vitreous
to Greasy
Fluorescence: Blue/Purple: SWUV; Orange/Pink: LWUV
Cleavage : Perfect, One direction
Durability:Poor!
Characteristics
for Identification:
Fingerprint
Inclusions, Silk (rutile), Color Change
Localities:
At Sar-e-Sang, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan. In Russia, in the Malaya
Bystraya and Tultuy lazurite deposits, near Lake Baikal, and in other unspeci¯ed deposits in
eastern Siberia. From Lyadzhuar-Darinsk, Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan. In Italy, at the Pitigliano
quarry, near Grosseto, Tuscany; on Monte Somma, Campania; from Vetralla and Bassano, Latium.
In the Edwards mine, Edwards, St. Lawrence Co., New York, USA. At Lake Harbour, Ba±n
Island, Newfoundland, Canada.
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Afghanite
(Na, Ca, K)8[Al6Si6O24(SO4Cl2CO3)0.5 H20
Afghanite is a sodim aluminum feldspathoid first found in the vicinity of Sar-e-Sang, Afghanistan in 1968. Afghanite is associated with the lapis lazuli deposits found in this area of Afghanistan.
Afghanite can be confused with:
Hauyne
Following are examples of afghanite crystals:
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