Gadolinite

Gadolinite

Gadolinite is a mineral of a nearly black color and vitreous luster, and consisting principally of the silicates of cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, yttrium, beryllium, and iron with formula: (Ce,La,Nd,Y)2FeBe2Si2O10. Called gadolinite-(Ce) or gadolinite-(Y) depending on the prominence of the variable element composition(namely, Y if it has more yttrium, and Ce if it has more cerium).

Gadolinite is fairly rare, but it forms attractive crystals that some collectors desire. Its hardness is between 6.5 and 7, and its specific gravity is between 4.0 and 4.7. It fractures in a conchoidal pattern. The mineral's streak is grayish-green.

Gadolinite was named in 1800 for Johan Gadolin, the Finnish mineralogist- chemist who first isolated an oxide of the rare earth element yttrium from the mineral in 1792. The rare earth gadolinium was also named for him. However, gadolinite does not contain more than trace amounts of gadolinium. When Gadolin analyzed this mineral, he missed an opportunity to discover a second element: what he thought was aluminum (alumina) was in fact an element that would not be officially discovered until 1798: beryllium (beryllia).

ee also

*List of minerals
*List of minerals named after people

References

* [http://www.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/gadolini/gadolini.htm Gallery of Minerals]


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  • gadolinite — ● gadolinite nom féminin (de Gadolin, nom propre) Silicate naturel d ytrium, de béryllium et de fer. ⇒GADOLINITE, subst. fém. CHIM. Silicate naturel d yttrium, glucinium et fer. Cf. ÉLIE DE BEAUMONT, B. Sté géol. Fr., t. 4, 1847, p. 50. Prononc.… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Gadolinite — Gad o*lin*ite, n. [Named after Gadolin, a Russian chemist.] (Min.) A mineral of a nearly black color and vitreous luster, and consisting principally of the silicates of yttrium, cerium, and iron. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gadolinite — [gad′ō lin īt΄] n. [Ger gadolinit, after J. Gadolin (1760 1852), Finn chemist who isolated it] a dark green to black, hard, radioactive mineral, beryllium iron yttrium silicate, Be2FeY2Si2O10, that is an ore of various rare earth elements …   English World dictionary

  • gadolinite — gadolinitas statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Mineralas. formulė Y₂Fe₂Be₂[O|SiO₄]₂ atitikmenys: angl. gadolinite rus. гадолинит …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • gadolinite — noun Etymology: German Gadolinit, from Johann Gadolin died 1852 Finnish chemist Date: 1802 a black or brown mineral that is a source of rare earths and consists of a silicate especially of iron, beryllium, yttrium, cerium, and erbium …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • gadolinite — /gad l euh nuyt /, n. a silicate mineral from which the rare earth metals gadolinium, holmium, and rhenium are extracted. [1795 1805; named after J. Gadolin (1760 1852), Finnish chemist; see ITE1] * * * …   Universalium

  • gadolinite — noun A dark, vitreous mineral that is a complex mixture of silicates of cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, yttrium, beryllium, and iron, with the chemical formula (Ce,La,Nd,Y)FeBeSiO …   Wiktionary

  • gadolinite — (ga do li ni t ) s. f. Terme de minéralogie. Silicate de cérium, ainsi nommé de Gadolin, qui l a découvert …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • gadolinite — ga·do·li·nì·te s.f. TS mineral. minerale in cristalli nerastri costituito da silicato di ittrio, ferro e berillio, che cristallizza nel sistema monoclino {{line}} {{/line}} DATA: 1817. ETIMO: der. di Gadolin, v. anche gadolinio, con 2 ite …   Dizionario italiano

  • gadolinite — pl.f. gadoliniti …   Dizionario dei sinonimi e contrari

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