The paper summarizes crystal-chemical data and describes the IMA-accepted nomenclature of lovozerite-group minerals (LGM). The lovozerite group includes nine zeolite-like cyclosilicates with the general formula A3B 3C2MSi6O12O6-x(OH) x.nH2O, with species-defining M = Zr, Ti, Fe3+, Ca; C = Ca, Mn2+, Na, □ A = Na, Ca; B = Na, □ 0 ≤ x ≤ 6; n = 0-1. Their structures are based upon a heteropolyhedral framework consisting of rings of Si-centred tetrahedra and M-centred octahedra forming a 3D system of channels that host A, B, and C cations. The structures can be also considered as based upon pseudocubic modules centred at the midpoint of the Si tetrahedral ring. The M, A, and B cations are located at the borders of the module, whereas C cations are inside the module. The modules are stacked in three different arrangements in LGM allowing distinction of three subgroups: (1) zirsinalite-lovozerite subgroup (includes cation-saturated combeite, kapustinite, kazakovite and zirsinalite, and cation-deficient litvinskite, lovozerite and tisinalite), (2) koashvite subgroup (incl. koashvite) and (3) imandrite subgroup (incl. imandrite). The nature of cation-deficient LGM is discussed. The calculation scheme for empirical formulae of LGM and the criteria of definition of a mineral species (end-members) in the group are given.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1061-1071
Number of pages11
JournalEuropean Journal of Mineralogy
Volume21
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2009

    Scopus subject areas

  • Geochemistry and Petrology

    Research areas

  • Combeite, Crystal structure, Cyclosilicate, Imandrite, Kapustinite, Kazakovite, Koashvite, Litvinskite, Lovozerite, Lovozerite group, Nomenclature of minerals, Tisinalite, Zirsinalite

ID: 9131233