Bystrite
Encyclopedia
Bystrite is a silicate mineral with the formula (Na,K)7Ca(Si6Al6)O24S4.5•(H2O), and a member of the cancrinite
mineral group. It is a hexagonal
crystal, with a 3m point group
. The mineral may have been named after the Malaya Bystraya deposits in Russia, where it was found.
Bystrite is a cancrinite
mineral and exhibits similar physical properties, composition and structure as other cancrinites.
deposits, and is usually associated with lazurite, calcite
, and diopside
.
The mineral is not very widely spread, either that or it has not been really searched for due to the lack of importance or significance. There is only one bystrite deposit that was mentioned in the literature, and that deposit is found in the Malaya Bystraya lazurite
deposit located 25 kilometers to the west of Slydanaka, and just south of Lake Baikal
in Russia
.
Cancrinite
Cancrinite is a complex carbonate and silicate of sodium, calcium and aluminium with the formula Na6Ca2[2|Al6Si6O24]·2H2O. It is classed as a member of the feldspathoid group of minerals; the alkali feldspars that are poor in silica. Yellow, orange, pink, white or even blue, it has a vitreous or...
mineral group. It is a hexagonal
Crystal structure
In mineralogy and crystallography, crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms or molecules in a crystalline liquid or solid. A crystal structure is composed of a pattern, a set of atoms arranged in a particular way, and a lattice exhibiting long-range order and symmetry...
crystal, with a 3m point group
Point group
In geometry, a point group is a group of geometric symmetries that keep at least one point fixed. Point groups can exist in a Euclidean space with any dimension, and every point group in dimension d is a subgroup of the orthogonal group O...
. The mineral may have been named after the Malaya Bystraya deposits in Russia, where it was found.
Bystrite is a cancrinite
Cancrinite
Cancrinite is a complex carbonate and silicate of sodium, calcium and aluminium with the formula Na6Ca2[2|Al6Si6O24]·2H2O. It is classed as a member of the feldspathoid group of minerals; the alkali feldspars that are poor in silica. Yellow, orange, pink, white or even blue, it has a vitreous or...
mineral and exhibits similar physical properties, composition and structure as other cancrinites.
Structure
Bystrite has a structure that is shared with many of the minerals in the cancrinite group. It exhibits a hexagonal crystal structure with a 3m point group. Bystrite also has a P31c space group. The structure of bystrite could not be easily found due to the mineral exhibiting a strong pseudotranslation, therefore, mineralogists made a model to find out the internal structure of the bystrite mineral, the idea was based on analyzing the tetrahedral frameworks of cancrinite minerals, and it did yield accurate results in predicting the structure of the mineral. Bolotina et al. (2004)Geologic occurrence
The most studied sample of the mineral was found in the Malaya Bystraya deposit in Russia. Bystrite occurs in lazuriteLazurite
Lazurite is a tectosilicate mineral with sulfate, sulfur and chloride with formula: 8[2|]. It is a feldspathoid and a member of the sodalite group. Lazurite crystallizes in the isometric system although well formed crystals are rare. It is usually massive and forms the bulk of the gemstone lapis...
deposits, and is usually associated with lazurite, calcite
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate . The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 380-470°C, and vaterite is even less stable.-Properties:...
, and diopside
Diopside
Diopside is a monoclinic pyroxene mineral with composition MgCaSi2O6. It forms complete solid solution series with hedenbergite and augite, and partial solid solutions with orthopyroxene and pigeonite. It forms variably colored, but typically dull green crystals in the monoclinic prismatic class...
.
The mineral is not very widely spread, either that or it has not been really searched for due to the lack of importance or significance. There is only one bystrite deposit that was mentioned in the literature, and that deposit is found in the Malaya Bystraya lazurite
Lazurite
Lazurite is a tectosilicate mineral with sulfate, sulfur and chloride with formula: 8[2|]. It is a feldspathoid and a member of the sodalite group. Lazurite crystallizes in the isometric system although well formed crystals are rare. It is usually massive and forms the bulk of the gemstone lapis...
deposit located 25 kilometers to the west of Slydanaka, and just south of Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is the world's oldest at 30 million years old and deepest lake with an average depth of 744.4 metres.Located in the south of the Russian region of Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, it is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.