ALBERT

Description: The new mineral mellizinkalite, K 3 Zn 2 Cl 7 , is found in the Glavnaya Tenoritovaya fumarole at the Second scoria cone of the Northern Breakthrough of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. Associated minerals are belloite, avdoninite, eriochalcite, sylvite, halite, carnallite, mitscherlichite, sanguite, chrysothallite, romanorlovite, gypsum, chlorothionite, kainite and earlier hematite, tenorite and chalcocyanite. Mellizinkalite occurs as irregularly shaped grains up to 0.5 mm across or crude elongated crystals up to 0.25 x 1.3 mm, their clusters and crusts up to 2 x 2 mm in area and up to 0.5 mm thick. The mineral is yellow-brown to reddish brown, transparent, with vitreous lustre. It is moderately brittle, slightly plastic. The Mohs’ hardness is ca. 2. Cleavage is not observed, the fracture is uneven. D meas = 2.46(2) and D calc = 2.49 3 g cm –3 . Mellizinkalite is optically biaxial (–), α = 1.556(5), β = 1.612(5), = 1.663(5) and 2 V meas = 85(5)°. The Raman spectrum is reported. The chemical composition (wt.%, electron-microprobe data) is: K 23.5, Rb 0.52, Mg 0.47, Cu 1.77, Zn 24.4, Cl 50.0, total 100.7. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 12 atoms pfu is: (K 2.95 Rb 0.03 ) 2.98 (Zn 1.84 Cu 0.14 Mg 0.09 ) 2.07 Cl 6.95 . Mellizinkalite is triclinic, P $$\overline{1}$$ , a = 6.7737(4), b = 10.5715(13), c = 11.0730(9) Å, α = 117.930(10), β = 106.909(5), 90.389(8)°, V =660.61(10) Å 3 and Z =2. The strongest reflections of the X-ray powder pattern [ d ,Å ( I ) ( hkl )] are: 9.20(69)(001, 010, 0–11), 6.40(100)(100), 5.712(47)(–110, –1–11), 4.608(92)(002, 020), 3.499(55)(012), 3.473(73)(0–13, 0–31, 0–23), 3.393(66)(–201) and 3.075(49)(003). The crystal structure, solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data ( R = 0.065), is unique. It consists of alternating layers of different ZnCl 4 polyhedra. The Zn(1) cations are located in flat squares which are connected to each other via common Cl-Cl edges to form Zn 2 Cl 6 dimers, whereas Zn(2) cations occupy isolated tetrahedra. Potassium cations occupy sites between the layers of Zn-centred polyhedra. The mineral (IMA2014–010) is named from three Latin words, melli s – honey, zin cum and kal ium, alluding to its colour and species-defining cations, zinc and potassium.

Description: The new mineral chubarovite, KZn 2 (BO 3 )Cl 2 , was found in the sublimates of active fumaroles at the Second and First scoria cones of the Northern Breakthrough of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. At the Second scoria cone it occurs in the Arsenatnaya fumarole (the holotype) with fluoborite, krasheninnikovite, sylvite, halite, langbeinite, aphthitalite, orthoclase, fluorophlogopite, hematite, and tenorite. At the First scoria cone, chubarovite is closely associated with sellaite, fluorite, anhydrite, halite, cotunnite, challacolloite, sofiite, and flinteite. Chubarovite forms hexagonal or trigonal lamellar to tabular crystals up to 1.5 mm across and up to 0.5 mm thick, with aggregates and crystal crusts up to 1 cm across. The major crystal form is {001}, and lateral faces are {101}, {102}, {103}, {100}, and {110}; twins of two types are observed. Chubarovite is transparent, colorless, with vitreous luster. It is flexible but not elastic. The Mohs hardness is ca . 2. Cleavage is (001) perfect, mica-like. D (meas.) is 2.68(2), D (calc.) is 2.716 g cm –3 . Chubarovite is optically uniaxial (–), with 1.541(2), 1.539(2). The infrared spectrum is given. Chemical data (wt.%, determined by electron-microprobe, boron by ICP OES) are: K 2 O 16.48, Rb 2 O 0.46, ZnO 53.96, B 2 O 3 10.98, Cl 24.48, –O=Cl 2 –5.53, total 100.83. The empirical formula, based on 5 (O+Cl) apfu , is: (K 1.05 Rb 0.01 ) 1.06 Zn 2.00 B 0.95 O 2.92 Cl 2.08 . Chubarovite is trigonal, R 32, a 4.9429(4), c 26.348(2) Å, V 557.50(8) Å 3 , and Z = 3. The strongest reflections of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [ d ,Å( I )( hkl )] are: 8.79(100)(003), 4.394(43)(006), 4.225(25)(101), 4.074(91)(012), 3.590(90)(104), 3.324(30)(015), 2.470(67)(110), and 2.245(25)(1.0.10). Chubarovite has a novel structure type. Its crystal structure, solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data ( R = 0.020), is composed of layers of two types with an alternation along [001]. The anionic {Zn 2 (BO 3 )Cl 2 } – layer consists of flat triangular BO 3 groups sharing all O vertices with bases of ZnO 3 Cl tetrahedra. Each Cl atom is shared between one Zn-centered tetrahedron and three edge-connected KCl 6 octahedra belonging to the cationic layer formed by K + cations. The mineral is named in honor of the Russian mineralogist and physicist Valeriy M. Chubarov (born 1948).

Description: The new mineral flinteite, ideally K 2 ZnCl4, was discovered in active fumaroles at two scoria cones of the Northern Breakthrough of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. In the Northern fumarole field at the First scoria cone (locality of the holotype), flinteite is a common mineral associated with halite, sellaite, fluorite, saltonseaite, chubarovite and hollandite. In the Arsenatnaya fumarole at the Second scoria cone, flinteite occurs with langbeinite, aphthitalite, fluoborite, sylvite, halite, tenorite, hematite, zincite, chubarovite, krasheninnikovite, vanthoffite, etc. In the Glavnaya Tenoritovaya fumarole (Second scoria cone), flinteite is associated with mellizinkalite, belloite, avdoninite, eriochalcite, sylvite, halite, mitscherlichite, sanguite, chrysothallite, romanorlovite, gypsum, chlorothionite, kainite, etc. Flinteite typically forms prismatic crystals up to 0.2 x 0.3 x 1.2 mm, their groups, granular aggregates or crusts up to 0.5 x 5 x 5 mm. The mineral is light green, light yellow to bright greenish-yellow or colourless. It is transparent, with vitreous lustre. Flinteite is brittle, one direction of distinct cleavage was observed. The Mohs hardness is ca. 2. D calc = 2.49 g cm –3 . Flinteite is optically biaxial (+), α = 1.573(1), β = 1.574(1), = 1.576(1), 2 V meas = 40(25)°. The chemical composition of the holotype (wt%, electron-microprobe data) is: K 24.97, Tl 5.82, Co 0.07, Zn 22.23, Cl 46.95, total 100.04. The empirical formula calculated based on the sum of all atoms = 7 pf u is: (K 1.91 Tl 0.09 ) 2.00 Zn 1.04 Cl 3.96 . Some samples show the following substitutions for K (wt%): up to 27.7 Tl, 0.6–2.4 Rb, 0.5–2.2 Cs. Flinteite is orthorhombic, Pna 2 1 , a = 26.8090(10), b = 12.4085(6), c = 7.2512(3) Å, V = 2412.18(18) Å 3 and Z = 12. The strongest reflections of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [ d ,Å( I )( hkl )] are: 6.23(27)(011, 020), 5.123(88)(311, 320), 3.629(98)(611, 002), 3.599(100)(031), 3.133(35)(022), 3.039(26)(630), 2.897(35)(910) and2.688(46)(911, 920). The crystal structure, solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data ( R = 0.0686), contains three Zn sites centring isolated ZnCl 4 tetrahedra and six independent K sites. Flinteite is the natural analogue of a well-known synthetic room-temperature modification of K 2 ZnCl 4 , a ferroelectric material. The mineral is named in honour of the Russian crystallographer Evgeniy E. Flint (1887–1975).

Description: Cerianite-(Ce), ideally CeO2, occurs as rounded grains up to 5 µm across in a block of highly altered calcite carbonatite lava from the Kerimasi volcano, and as euhedral crystals up to 200 µm across in carbonatite-derived eluvial deposits in the Kisete and Loluni explosion craters in the Gregory Rift, northern Tanzania. X-ray powder diffraction data (a = 5.434(5) Å) and Raman spectroscopy (minor vibration modes at 184 and 571 cm-1 in addition to a strong signal at 449 cm-1) suggest the presence of essential amounts of large cations and oxygen vacancies in the Kisete material. Microprobe analyses reveal that the mineral contains both light and heavy trivalent rare earth elements (REE) (7.9–15.5 wt.% LREE2O3 and 4.9–9.7 wt.% HREE2O3), and that it is enriched in yttrium (7.1–14.5 wt.% Y2O3) and fluorine (2.2–3.5 wt.%). Single-crystal structure refinement of the mineral confirms a fluorite-type structure with a cation–anion distance of 2.3471(6) Å. The cerianite-(Ce) is considered to be a late-stage secondary mineral in the carbonatitic rocks.

Description: The new mineral cryobostryxite, KZnCl 3 ·2H 2 O, is found in the Northern fumarole field at the First scoria cone of the Northern Breakthrough of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. Cryobostryxite is a secondary mineral formed in the upper, moderately hot (30–80 °C) zone of active fumaroles, probably as a product of the interactions between high-temperature volcanic sublimates and meteoric water. It is associated with gypsum, ralstonite and opal; earlier, primary minerals of the assemblage are sellaite, fluorite, halite, anhydrite, cotunnite, sofiite, flinteite, chubarovite, anglesite, challacolloite, zincomenite, saltonseaite, hollandite, hematite, jakobssonite, leonardsenite and olsacherite. Cryobostryxite occurs as anthodites (up to 0.5 x 2 mm), their aggregates (up to 4 x 5 mm), granular crusts (up to 2 x 2 mm) and, rarely, coarse prismatic to acicular crystals (up to 0.2 x 1 mm). The mineral is transparent, colourless, with vitreous lustre. It is brittle, cleavage is not observed. The Mohs hardness is ca . 2. D meas = 2.30(2), D calc = 2.300 g cm –3 . Cryobostryxite is optically biaxial (+), α = 1.522(2), β = 1.530(2), = 1.576(2) and 2 V meas = 30(15)°. The chemical composition (wt.%, electron-microprobe data, H 2 O calculated for 2 molecules per formula unit, pfu ) is: K 14.85, Tl 4.08, Zn 25.82, Cl 41.70, H 2 O(calc.) 14.19, total 100.64. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of K + Tl + Zn + Cl = 5 apfu is (K 0.96 Tl + 0.05 ) 1.01 Zn 1.00 Cl 2.99 ·2H 2 O. Cryobostryxite is monoclinic, P 2 1 / c , a = 6.2795(3), b = 10.1397(3), c = 12.0829(7) Å, β = 107.732(5)°, V = 732.79(6) Å 3 and Z = 4. The strongest reflections of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [ d , Å ( I , %) ( hkl )] are: 7.62 (30) (011), 5.986 (43) (100), 5.766=(35) (002), 3.907 (33) (–121), 3.466 (20) (121), 3.062 (100) (–202, 023), 2.996 (24) (–211, 200) and 2.853 (27) (–114). The crystal structure, solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data ( R = 0.0654), contains isolated Zn-centred tetrahedra ZnCl 3 (H 2 O) connected via eight-coordinated K-centred polyhedra KCl 7 (H 2 O) to form a pseudo-framework. Both Zn- and K-centred polyhedra involve only O(1) atoms of the H 2 O(1) molecules, whereas H 2 O(2) molecules are located in holes of the K-Zn-Cl-H 2 O(1) polyhedral pseudo-framework. The mineral name is based on two Greek words, o, cold or ice, and βó, curl, reflecting the typical appearance: visually, anthodites of the mineral are very similar to ice curls. A novel chemical family of minerals including the potassium zinc chlorides flinteite K 2 ZnCl 4 , mellizinkalite K 3 Zn 2 Cl 7 and cryobostryxite is discussed in the light of crystal-chemical data and formation conditions.

Description: Hatertite, ideally Na 2 (Ca, Na)(Fe 3+ , Cu) 2 (AsO 4 ) 3 , was found in a fumarole of the North Breach of the Great fissure Tolbachik volcano eruption (1975–1976), Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. The mineral occurs as individual, prismatic and tabular, honey-yellow crystals up to 0.3 mm across. It has a vitreous luster and yellow streak. Hatertite is monoclinic, C 2/ c , a = 12.590(2), b = 12.993(3), c =6.700(2) Å, β =113.72(2)°, V = 1003.4(3) Å 3 , Z =4, D calc = 4.06 g/cm 3 . The eight strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern are [ d obs in Å ( I ) ( hkl )]: 6.493(25)(020); 3.628 (25)(31); 3.204(39)( 12,131); 3.065(18)(002); 2.976(28)(12, 22); 2.830(100)(240), 2.632(36)(32); 1.647(19)(04,640). Hatertite is optically positive, α = 1.820(3), β = 1.825(3), = 1.833(3), 2V meas. = 60(10)°, 2V calc. = 77°. The orientation is Y = b . The chemical composition determined by the electron-microprobe analysis is as follows (wt.%): Na 2 O 8.49, K 2 O 2.41, MnO 1.64, CaO 7.06, Fe 2 O 3 11.15, ZnO 2.05, CuO 8.10, Al 2 O 3 2.22, As 2 O 5 55.67, total 98.79. The empirical formula (based on 12 O apfu ) is (Na 0.47 K 0.32 )(Na 0.84 Ca 0.16 ) (Ca 0.62 Na 0.19 Zn 0.16 Mn 0.14 ) (Fe 3+ 0.44 Cu 0.32 Al 0.13 Na 0.11 ) 2 (As 1.01 O 4 ) 3 . A general crystal chemical formula for hatertite should be written as NaNa(Ca 1–x M + x )(Fe 3+ 1+x M 2+ 1–x )(AsO 4 ) 3 , where 0.5 〉 x 〉0, M + is an unspecified monovalent cation, and M 2+ is an unspecified divalent cation. The crystal structure was solved by direct methods and refined to an agreement index R 1 = 0.028 on the basis of 751 independent observed reflections. Hatertite is a new arsenate member of the alluaudite group. Its structure is based upon chains of edge-sharing octahedra running along [–101] and linked by T (2)O 4 tetrahedra into layers parallel to (010). The layers are further interlinked through T (1)O 4 tetrahedra to form a three-dimensional octahedral-tetrahedral framework with the A (1) and A (2)’ sites in the interstices. The mineral was named in honor of Prof. Frédéric Hatert (b. 1973), University of Liège, Belgium, for his contributions to the mineralogy and crystal chemistry of alluaudite-group minerals.

Description: Hielscherite, ideally Ca3Si(OH)6(SO4)(SO3)·11H2O, (IMA 2011-037) is the first ettringite-group mineral with essential sulfite. We have identified a continuous natural solid-solution series from endmember thaumasite, Ca3Si(OH)6(SO4)(CO3)·12H2O, to a composition with at least 77 mol.% endmember hielscherite. In this series, the SO3:CO3 ratio is variable, whereas the SO4 content remains constant. Compositions with more than 50 mol.% endmember hielscherite have only been found at Graulay quarry near Hillesheim in the western Eifel Mountains, Rhineland-Palatinate, where they occur with phillipsite-K, chabazite-Ca and gypsum in cavities in alkaline basalt. Sulfite-rich thaumasite has been found in hydrothermal assemblages in young alkaline basalts in two volcanic regions of Germany: it is widespread at Graulay quarry and occurs at Rother Kopf, Schellkopf and Bellerberg quarries in Eifel district; it has also been found at Zeilberg quarry, Franconia, Bavaria. Hielscherite forms matted fibrous aggregates up to 1 cm across and groups of acicular to prismatic hexagonal crystals up to 0.3 × 0.3 × 1.5 mm. Individual crystals are colourless and transparent with a vitreous lustre and crystal aggregates are white with a silky lustre. The Mohs hardness is 2–2½. Measured and calculated densities are Dmeans = 1.82(3) and Dcalc = 1.79 g cm−3. Hielscherite is optically uniaxial (−), ω = 1.494(2), ε = 1.476(2). The mean chemical composition of holotype material (determined by electron microprobe for Ca, Al, Si, and S and gas chromatography for C, H and N, with the S4+:S6+ ratio from the crystal-structure data) is CaO 27.15, Al2O3 2.33, SiO2 7.04, CO2 2.71, SO2 6.40, SO3 12.91, N2O5 0.42, H2O 39.22, total 98.18 wt.%. The empirical formula on the basis of 3 Ca atoms per formula unit is Ca3(Si0.73Al0.28)Σ1.01(OH)5.71(SO4)1.00(SO3)0.62(CO3)0.38(NO3)0.05·10.63H2O. The presence of sulfite was confirmed by crystal-structure analysis and infrared and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectra. The crystal structure of sulfite-rich thaumasite from Zeilberg quarry was solved by direct methods based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction data (R1 = 0.064). The structure of hielscherite was refined using the Rietveld method (Rwp = 0.0317). Hielscherite is hexagonal, P63, a = 11.1178(2), c = 10.5381(2) Å, V = 1128.06(4) Å3 and Z = 2. The strongest reflections in the X-ray powder pattern [(d,Å(I)(hkl)] are: 9.62(100)(010,100); 5.551(50)(110); 4.616(37)(012,102); 3.823(64)(112); 3.436(25)(211), 2.742(38)(032,302), 2.528(37)(123,213), 2.180(35)(042,402;223). In both hielscherite and sulfite-rich thaumasite, pyramidal sulfite groups occupy the same site as trigonal carbonate groups, with analogous O sites, whereas tetrahedral sulfate groups occupy separate positions. Hielscherite is named in honour of the German mineral collector Klaus Hielscher (b. 1957).

Description: The new mineral shuvalovite, ideally K 2 (Ca 2 Na)(SO 4 ) 3 F, was found in sublimates of the Arsenatnaya fumarole at the Second scoria cone of the Northern Breakthrough of the Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. It is closely associated with calciolangbeinite, tenorite, hematite, orthoclase, fluorophlogopite and fluorite. Shuvalovite occurs as coarse lamellar to tabular (flattened on [100]), rectangular, octagonal or irregular crystals up to 0.05 x 0.7 x 0.9 mm combined in open-work groups or crusts up to 1 x 1 cm on basalt scoria. Shuvalovite is transparent, colourless, and has a vitreous lustre. The mineral is brittle, with Mohs’ hardness ca . 3. Cleavage was not observed, the fracture is uneven. D calc = 2.64 g cm –3 . Shuvalovite is optically biaxial (–), α = 1.493(1), β = 1.498(1), = 1.498(1) and 2 V meas ≤ 20°. The IR spectrum is reported. The chemical composition (average of 22 analyses) is: Na 2 O 7.37, K 2 O 19.33, CaO 21.39, SO 3 49.49, F 3.78, O =F–1.59, total 99.77 wt%. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 13 (O + F) apfu is: Na 1.16 K 2.01 Ca 1.86 S 3.02 O 12.03 F 0.97 . Shuvalovite is orthorhombic, Pnma , a = 13.2383(4), b = 10.3023(3), c = 8.9909(4) Å, V = 1226.22(7) Å 3 and Z = 4. The strongest reflections of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [ d ,Å( I )( hkl )] are: 4.245(45)(102, 121), 3.963(62)(301), 3.281(100)(122), 3.210(30)(031), 3.144(84)(302, 321), 3.112(67)(131, 401), 3.016(78)(222) and 2.785(52)(420). The crystal structure, solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data ( R = 0.067), contains two crystallographically inequivalent isolated SO 4 tetrahedra. For the S(2) site, a disordered arrangement of coordinating O atoms is found that defines two possible orientations of the S(2)O 4 tetrahedron. The Ca(1) cations occupy CaO 7 F polyhedra whereas Ca(2) cations occupy CaO 5 F or CaO 6 F polyhedra, depending on the presence or absence of the half-occupied O(6) site split around the mirror plane. The K(1) and K(2) cations are nine-fold coordinated. All Ca and K sites contain admixed Na, the majority of which is located in the Ca(2) site. The comparative crystal chemistry of structurally different sulfates with the general formula M 5 (SO 4 ) 3 X (shuvalovite, krasheninnikovite and apatite-type compounds) is discussed. Shuvalovite is named in honour of the Russian nobleman and statesman Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov (1727–1797), an enthusiastic patron of the sciences, arts and literature, one of the founders of the Moscow University in 1755.

Description: Ferromerrillite, ideally Ca 9 NaFe 2+ (PO 4 ) 7 , is a new mineral related to the whitlockite group. It occurs as a common accessory phase in several Martian meteorites classified as basaltic and olivine-phyric shergottites. The mineral described herein originates from the two meteorites Shergotty (the type occurrence) and Los Angeles. Ferromerrillite is trigonal, space group R 3 c ; the unit-cell dimensions (single-crystal data) for material from Shergotty and Los Angeles are, respectively: a 10.372(2) and 10.3794(6); c 37.217(13) and 37.129(2) Å; V 3467(3) and 3464.1(1) Å 3 ; Z = 6. The calculated density D calc . is 3.11 g/cm 3 based on the empirical formula Ca 9.00 (Na 0.60 Ca 0.07 ) 0.67 (Fe 2+ 0.53 Mg 0.40 ) 0.93 P 7.08 O 28 (Shergotty) and 3.14 g/cm 3 for Ca 9.00 (Na 0.49 Ca 0.15 ) 0.64 (Fe 2+ 0.78 Mg 0.23 ) 1.02 P 7.03 O 28 (Los Angeles). The crystal structure of ferromerrillite from the Los Angeles meteorite was solved and refined to R 1 = 0.066 on the basis of 1518 independent reflections with I 〉 2 ( I ). Single-crystal studies reveal that ferromerrilite grains from the two studied shergottites are heavily deformed with an angular mosaicity reaching 7 degrees. The latter imply that the mineral grains experienced a shock event but the impact pressure was not high enough (〈23 GPa) for the transformation to tuite, -Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 , to occur. Ferromerrillite is colourless, no cleavage was observed, Mohs’ hardness is ~5. In the immersion liquids, the mineral is colourless and non-pleochroic. It is optically negative, uniaxial to anomalously biaxial with 2 V up to (–)20°. Refractive indices are: 1.623(1) and 1.624(1), 1.621(1) and 1.621(1) for Shergotty and Los Angeles material, respectively. The mineral is named as Fe-dominant analogue of merrillite.

Description: Cyprine, ideally Ca 19 Cu 2+ (Al,Mg,Mn) 12 Si 18 O 69 (OH) 9 , was found at the Wessels mine near Hotazel, Kalahari Manganese Field, North Cape province, South Africa. It occurs as chaotic aggregates (up to 5 cm across) in open cavities or embedded in coarse-grained colourless calcite. Associated minerals are calcite, apatite, andradite, henritermierite and rhodochrosite. Single crystals of cyprine up to 1 cm are dark red with a lilac hue and vitreous lustre. Dominant crystal forms are {1 0 0}, {1 1 0} and {3 3 1}. The Mohs hardness is 6.5. D meas and D calc are 3.40(3) and 3.41 g/cm 3 , respectively. Cyprine is optically uniaxial, negative, = 1.744(2), = 1.732(2) (in white light). Pleochroism is strong; ranging from O = dark purple, E = pale red to O = dark reddish brown, E = pale yellowish brown; O 〉〉 E . Chemical composition (electron microprobe, H 2 O by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)) of two chemically different zones (zone-1/zone-2, wt.%) is: SiO 2 36.98/36.51; Al 2 O 3 14.98/13.70; CaO 36.70/36.18; MgO 3.24/1.10; Mn 2 O 3 2.27/6.04; CuO 2.39/1.86; Fe 2 O 3 0.62/2.50; Cr 2 O 3 0.23/0.04; H 2 O 3.30/3.30, total 100.71/101.23. The crystal-chemical formulae (based on the FTIR, TGA/differential scanning calorimetry, SREF, WDS and optical spectra) are Ca 8.00 Ca 1.00 (Cu 0.95 Mg 0.05 ) 1.00 Al 4.00 (Al 5.50 Mg 1.00 Mn 3+ 1.19 Fe 3+ 0.22 Cr 0.09 ) 8.00 ([SiO 4 ] 9.91 [H 4 O 4 ] 0.09 ) 10.00 [Si 2 O 7 ] 4 ((OH) 9 O) 9.91 and Ca 18.00 Ca 1.00 (Cu 0.90 Mg 0.10 ) 1.00 (Al 3.22 Mn 3+ 0.60 Fe 30.18 ) 4.00 (A l4.72 Mn 3+ 1.20 Fe 3+ 1.06 Mn 2+ 0.60 Mg 0.40 Cr 0.02 ) 8.00 ([SiO 4 ] 9.91 [H 4 O 4 ] 0.09 ) 10.00 [Si 2 O 7 ] 4 ((OH) 9 O) 10.00 for zone-1 and zone-2, respectively. Absorption bands in the IR spectrum are 443, 490, 574, 604, 671, 814, 905, 972, 1015, 3354, 3640 cm –1 . The polarized optical absorption spectra have two strong absorption bands at 415 and 555 nm and a less intense band at 645 nm. The eight strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern are ( I–d (Å)– h k l ): 12–5.89–002, 12–3.007–431, 47–2.950–004, 100–2.75–432, 76–2.594–522, 35–2.459–620, 10–2.324–144, 28–1.6224–672. Cyprine is tetragonal, space group P 4/ n , unit-cell parameters refined from the powder data are a = 15.5652(5), c = 11.7921(4), V = 2863.2 (2) Å 3 , Z = 2. The crystal structure has been refined to R 1 = 0.034 and R 1 = 0.035 for 2848 and 2071 unique observed reflections with | F o | ≥ 4 F for the zones 1 and 2, respectively. The structure refinements provide scattering factors of the Y 1A,B sites close to 29 e – , which supports occupancy of these sites by Cu 2+ ions. The copper coordination polyhedra possess strong Jahn–Teller distortion: Y 1A–O6(4 x ) = 2.043(3) Å and Y 1A–O10 = 2.258(6) Å for zone-1 and Y 1B–O6(4 x ) = 2.010(4) Å and Y 1B–O10 = 2.274(7) Å for zone-2. Cyprine is defined as a member of the vesuvianite group with Cu 2+ as a dominant cation in the Y 1 site. The historical name cyprine (derived from Latin cuprum , copper) given by J.J. Berzelius in 1821 for Cu-bearing vesuvianite is transferred to the new mineral.