Cryolite
Cryolite is named from Greek "kryos" - frost, alluding to its appearance. The material seemingly disappears in water due to the proximity of their refractive indices.
Colourless transparent monoclinic crystals have occasionally been cut despite the softness and hazy appearance.
Colourless transparent monoclinic crystals have occasionally been cut despite the softness and hazy appearance.
| General Information | ||||||||||
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| Chemical Formula |
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| Physical Properties of Cryolite | ||||||||||
| Mohs Hardness | 2.5, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||
| Specific Gravity | 2.97, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||
| Optical Properties of Cryolite | ||||||||||
| Refractive Index | 1.338 to 1.339, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||
| Optical Character | Biaxial/+, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||
| Birefringence | 0.001, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||
| Colour | ||||||||||
| Colour (General) | Colourless, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||
| Transparency | Transparent, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||
| Crystallography of Cryolite | ||||||||||
| Crystal System | Monoclinic, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references | |||||||||
| Habit | Short prismatic or pseudocubic, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) | |||||||||
| Geological Environment | ||||||||||
| Where found: | Cryolite occurs in some granite pegmatites, in topaz-bearing, fluorine-rich rhyolites and elsewhere., Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) | |||||||||
| Further Information | ||||||||||
| Mineral information: | Cryolite information at mindat.org | |||||||||
| Significant Gem Localities | ||||||||||
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