A Geoscience Digital Image Library
A Geoscience Digital Image Library
| Title | Titanite (sphene), feldspar and quartz from Eganville, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Description | This sample contains large crystals of black titanite, orange feldspar, and rusty red quartz. Titanite, also called sphene, has composition CaTiSiO5. It is a very common accessory mineral in igneous (and often other) rocks, but may be overlooked due to small grain size. Titanite can be green, yellow, white, brown or black; when crystals are large, they are most commonly black. Transparent/translucent samples of titanite show great fire, greater than diamond, and are sometimes used as gemstones. But titanite's hardness is only 5-5.5, so it is not a durable gem. This specimen is about 10 cm across. |
| Location | Canada ▹ Ontario. Near Eganville. |
| Photographer | Shannon Heinle. 2001-03-26. |
| Collection | University of North Dakota Mineralogy Collection. |
| Key words | sphene, Canada |
| Tech details | 855 KB. Hand specimen. Fujifilm FinePix S1Pro digital camera; 60mm AF Nikon micro lens. |
| GeoDIL number | 259 |
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