The Progress of In-Situ Study of Mineralogy and Gemmology

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineralogical Crystallography and Biomineralization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2024 | Viewed by 3514

Special Issue Editors

School of Gemmology, State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
Interests: mineralogy; gemmology; ore deposits; geochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
School of Gemology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: luminescence materials; crystal structure; gemology; color origin and evaluation of gemstones
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gemstones is the general term used to refer to both natural gems, minerals and manufactured products. Gems and minerals can be divided into single-crystal gemstones, polycrystal gemstones, amorphous jades, organic materials and manufactured products, etc. Gems and minerals are rich in color, variety and quality, so it is of great significance to explore the gemological, color mechanism, spectral characteristics, chemical composition and crystal structure of gem minerals. This Special Issue aims to enrich the gemological and mineralogical library, and to comprehensively update the information on gems and minerals from around the world.

This Special Issue is the second round of the previous Special Issue entitled "In-Situ Study of Mineralogy, Gemology and Progress in Gemology". We invite scholars from around the world to submit their studies on gemstones and related minerals. The topics of interest for the Special Issue mainly include, but are not limited to, the following: 1) The spectroscopic study of gems and minerals; 2) the mineralogical characteristics of gems and minerals; 3) the geographic and provenance determination of gems and minerals; 4) the synthesis and enhancement of gems and minerals; and 5) the indicative significance of inclusions in gems and minerals.

Prof. Dr. Bo Xu
Prof. Dr. Ying Guo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gemology
  • origin
  • isotopes
  • spectrum
  • microanalysis
  • beryl
  • gold

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 3606 KiB  
Article
Toledoite, TiFeSi, a New Mineral from Inclusions in Corundum Xenocrysts from Mount Carmel, Israel
by Chi Ma, Fernando Cámara, Luca Bindi and William L. Griffin
Crystals 2024, 14(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14010096 - 21 Jan 2024
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Abstract
During our nanomineralogical investigation of melt inclusions in corundum xenocrysts from the Mount Carmel area, Israel, seven new oxide and alloy minerals have been discovered since 2021. Herein, we report toledoite (TiFeSi; IMA 2022-036), a new alloy mineral. Toledoite occurs as irregular crystals [...] Read more.
During our nanomineralogical investigation of melt inclusions in corundum xenocrysts from the Mount Carmel area, Israel, seven new oxide and alloy minerals have been discovered since 2021. Herein, we report toledoite (TiFeSi; IMA 2022-036), a new alloy mineral. Toledoite occurs as irregular crystals 2–16 μm in size, with gupeiite (Fe3Si), jingsuiite (TiB2), ziroite (ZrO2), osbornite (TiN), xifengite (Fe5Si3), and naquite (FeSi) in corundum Grain WG1124E-1. Toledoite has an empirical formula (Ti0.83Cr0.07Mn0.06V0.02)(Fe0.96Mn0.04)(Si0.99P0.04) and an orthorhombic Ima2 TiFeSi-type structure with the following cell parameters: a = 7.00(1) Å, b = 10.83(1) Å, c = 6.29(1) Å, V = 477(1) Å3, Z = 12. Toledoite is a high-temperature alloy phase, formed under extremely reduced conditions in melt pockets in corundum xenocrysts derived from the upper mantle beneath Mount Carmel in Israel. The name was given in honor of Vered Toledo, of Shefa Gems Ltd. for her support and for providing corundum xenocrysts from the Mount Carmel region for this investigation of new minerals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Progress of In-Situ Study of Mineralogy and Gemmology)
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9 pages, 3079 KiB  
Article
Griffinite, Al2TiO5: A New Oxide Mineral from Inclusions in Corundum Xenocrysts from the Mount Carmel Area, Israel
by Chi Ma, Fernando Cámara, Vered Toledo and Luca Bindi
Crystals 2023, 13(10), 1427; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13101427 - 26 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 964
Abstract
Griffinite (IMA 2021-110), ideally Al2TiO5, is a new mineral from inclusions in corundum xenocrysts from the Mount Carmel area, Israel. It occurs as subhedral crystals, ~1–4 μm in size, together with Zr-rich rutile within a corundum grain. In this [...] Read more.
Griffinite (IMA 2021-110), ideally Al2TiO5, is a new mineral from inclusions in corundum xenocrysts from the Mount Carmel area, Israel. It occurs as subhedral crystals, ~1–4 μm in size, together with Zr-rich rutile within a corundum grain. In this study, a mean of eight electron probe microanalyses gave TiO2 44.41 (24), Al2O3 55.13 (18), FeO 0.47 (5), and MgO 0.37 (2), totaling 100.38 wt%, which corresponded, on the basis of a total of five oxygen atoms, to (Al1.97Mg0.02Fe0.01)Ti1.01O5. Electron back-scatter diffraction studies revealed that griffinite is orthorhombic and in the space group Cmcm, with a = 3.58 (2) Å, b = 9.44 (1) Å, c = 9.65 (1) Å, and V = 326 (2) Å3 with Z = 4. The six strongest calculated powder diffraction lines [d in Å (I/I0) (hkl)] are 3.347 (100) (110); 2.658 (90) (023); 4.720 (77) (020); 1.903 (57) (043); 1.790 (55) (200); and 1.688 (44) (134). In the crystal structure, Al3+ and Ti4+ are disordered into two distinct distorted octahedra, which form edge-sharing double chains. Griffinite is a high-temperature oxide mineral, formed in melt pockets in corundum-aggregate xenoliths derived from the upper mantle beneath Mount Carmel, Israel. The new mineral is named after William L. Griffin, a geologist at Macquarie University, Australia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Progress of In-Situ Study of Mineralogy and Gemmology)
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9 pages, 12037 KiB  
Article
Cortesognoite, CaV2Si2O7(OH)2·H2O, a New Mineral from the Molinello Manganese Mine, Graveglia Valley, Italy
by Chi Ma, Cristina Carbone and Donato Belmonte
Crystals 2023, 13(9), 1295; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13091295 - 23 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1116
Abstract
Cortesognoite (IMA 2014-029), CaV2Si2O7(OH)2·H2O, is a new vanadium silicate mineral that occurs within V-bearing lawsonite in association with vanadiocarpholite, chalcocite, quartz, minor poppiite, roscoelite, vanadomalayaite and volborthite in a silicified wood hosted in [...] Read more.
Cortesognoite (IMA 2014-029), CaV2Si2O7(OH)2·H2O, is a new vanadium silicate mineral that occurs within V-bearing lawsonite in association with vanadiocarpholite, chalcocite, quartz, minor poppiite, roscoelite, vanadomalayaite and volborthite in a silicified wood hosted in Mn-ore-bearing metacherts from the Molinello manganese mine in the Graveglia Valley, Northern Apennines, Liguria, Italy. The mean chemical composition of type cortesognoite by electron probe microanalysis is (wt%) SiO2 34.33, V2O3 31.38, CaO 15.80, Al2O3 7.69, MnO 0.14, FeO 0.09, MgO 0.06, TiO2 0.02 and H2O 10.29, totaling 99.80, giving rise to an empirical formula of (Ca0.99Mn0.01)(V1.47Al0.53Mg0.01)Si2.00O7(OH)2·H2O. The end-member formula is CaV2Si2O7(OH)2·H2O. Cortesognoite has the Cmcm lawsonite structure with a = 5.85(1) Å, b = 8.79(1) Å, c = 13.13(1) Å, V = 675(1) Å3 and Z = 4 as revealed by electron back-scatter diffraction. The calculated density using the measured composition is 3.44 g/cm3. Cortesognoite is a secondary alteration phase, formed with V-bearing lawsonite by multi-stage hydrothermal processes that occurred in the silicified fossil wood. The mineral name is in honor of Luciano Cortesogno, professor of petrography at University of Genova, Italy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Progress of In-Situ Study of Mineralogy and Gemmology)
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