Sabinaite

Sabinaite
Tan sabinaite crystals, porcelaneous analcime crystals on a siderite matrix
General
Category	Carbonate mineral
Formula (repeating unit)	Na4Zr2TiO4(CO3)4
Strunz classification	5.BB.20
Crystal system	Monoclinic
Crystal class	Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol)
Space group	B2/b
Identification
Color	Colorless to white
Luster	Vitreous

Sabinaite (Na₄Zr₂TiO₄(CO₃)₄) is a rare carbonate mineral. It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system as colorless to white prisms within cavities. It is more typically found as powdery coatings and masses. It has a specific gravity of 3.36.^[1]

It has been found in vugs in a carbonatite sill on Montreal Island and within sodalite syenite in the alkali intrusion at Mont Saint-Hilaire in Quebec, Canada.

It was first described in 1980 for an occurrence in the Francon quarry, Montreal Island. It is named after Ann Sabina (1930–2015), a mineralogist working for the Geological Survey of Canada.

References[]

• Mineral Handbook
• Data from Mindat
• Webmineral data

See also[]