Definition of albite

Definitions

albite

noun (plural: albites)

(mineralogy) A plagioclase feldspar, the first member of the Albite-Anorthite solid solution series. Primarily a mineral of plutonic rocks, also found in pegmatites. When Albite substitutes for a potassium feldspar in granite, the rock is called quartz monzonite.

Chemical composition: Sodium aluminum silicate, <math>NaAlSi?_3O_8</math>
Physical properties:
Moh's Hardness: 6.0
Specific gravity: 2.63
Color: white, sometimes with a bluish cast
Luster: glassy
Fracture: conchoidal
Cleavage: two good at about 94Âº to each other
Habit: Triclinic - pinacoidal. Usually twinned and striated. The striations are visible to the naked eye, and are characteristic of plagioclase feldspars in general and Albite in particular.

Etymology: From the Latin albus (white), the common color of the mineral.

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