Image: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/47445767@N05">James St. John</a> (CC BY 2.0)
cubicuncommonTectosilicates (Feldspathoid Group)
Sodalite
Na8(Al6Si6O24)Cl2
This specimen features vibrant blue sodalite intergrown with dark green aegirine pyroxene and whitish albite feldspar, forming a striking pegmatitic rock. Sodalite typically appears as massive to granular aggregates, often with a vitreous luster.
Sodalite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
5.5Crystal System
cubicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
distinct on {110}Fracture
unevenSpecific Gravity
2.25Colors
blue, white, gray, green, pink, yellowTransparency
translucentType Locality
Ice River Complex, British Columbia, CanadaMineral Group
Tectosilicates (Feldspathoid Group)Uses
jewelry, ornamental stone, collectorAssociated Minerals
aegirine, albite, nepheline, cancrinite, microclineRarity
uncommonGeological Context
Sodalite forms in alkali-rich igneous rocks, such as nepheline syenites and phonolites, and their associated pegmatites. This specimen is described as a cavity-filling in a pegmatitic syenite from the Ice River Complex.
