Labuntsovite was the original name of the mineral now called labuntsovite-Mn, and it also names the labuntsovite group of titanium silicates. The name honors the Russian mineralogists Aleksander Labuntsov and Ekaterina Labuntsov-Kostyleva. It forms brownish-yellow, pink or reddish-brown prismatic crystals with a hardness of about 6, as a hydrothermal alteration product of murmanite in alkalic pegmatites and carbonatite of the Lovozero, Khibiny and Kovdor massifs and the Vuoriyarvi complex on the Kola Peninsula of Russia. The properties here are those of labuntsovite-Mn.
Is this labuntsovite?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch labuntsovite with a known reference. Labuntsovite sits at Mohs 6, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: greasy.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brownish yellow, pink, reddish brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: prismatic.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Na₄K₄Mn₂Ti₈O₄(Si₄O₁₂)₄(OH)₄·10-12H₂O
- Mohs hardness
- 6
- Density
- 2.89-3.02 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Greasy
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic
- Cleavage
- Perfect on {100}
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal alteration product of murmanite in alkalic pegmatites and carbonatite
Where rockhounds find labuntsovite
Classic worldwide localities
- Lovozero, Khibiny and Kovdor massifs, Kola Peninsula, Russia
- Vuoriyarvi carbonatite complex, Kola Peninsula, Russia
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Hydrothermal alteration product of murmanite in alkalic pegmatites and carbonatite. Typical habit: prismatic. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop.
More labuntsovite photos
Common questions
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