Visit the Mango Dog Website! A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z Click Here to Return to the Main Page Idocrase (see Vesuvianite) Luster is vitreous or greasy to resinous. Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent. Crystal System tetragonal; 4/m 2/m 2/m Crystal Habits include prismatic crystals with an overall square cross-section. There is usually two sets of four sided prisms with one set being dominant. The termination is usually a four sided pyramid that can be either steeply or gently sloped. The faces of the pyramids align with the faces of the prisms making an edge that is perpendicular to the length of the crystal (as opposed to the tetragonal mineral apophyllite). A pinacoid can truncate the pyramid or form the entire termination. Massive forms are common and difficult to distinguish from massive garnet. Cleavage poor, in one direction lengthwise. Fracture is conchoidal to uneven. Specific Gravity is 3.3 - 3.5 Streak is white. Other Characteristics: striated lengthwise and is slightly pleochroic. Associated Minerals are garnets, calcite, wollastonite, diopside and serpentine. Notable Occurances Asbestos, Quebec, Canada; California and the New England region of USA; Mt Vesuvius, Italy; Ural Mountains, Russia and Switzerland. Best Field Indicators crystal habit, color, cleavage and localities Colors: normally green, but also can be brown, yellow, blue, and purple Hardness: 6.5 Ilvaite Luster is submetallic or resinous. Transparency crystals are opaque. Crystal System orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m Crystal Habits include elongated crystals with an overall diamond-shaped cross-section and wedge-shaped terminations. Also as platy crystals and in massive, compact and columnar specimens. Cleavage very poor, in one direction lengthwise. Fracture is conchoidal. Specific Gravity is 3.8 - 4.1 Streak is brownish black. Associated Minerals are arsenopyrite, stilbite, hematite, magnetite and pyrite. Other Characteristics: crystals are usually striated lengthwise. Notable Occurances Rio Marina, Elba, Italy; Serifos, Greece; Idaho and Greenland. Best Field Indicators crystal habit, color, hardness, cleavage and localities. Colors: normally black, but also brownish black to dark gray Hardness: 5.5 to 6 Ilmenite Luster is metallic, submetallic to dull when tarnished. Transparency: Crystals are opaque. Crystal System: Trigonal; bar 3 Crystal Habits include thin and thick tabular crystals with rhombohedral truncations (similar to hematite's tabular habits); sometimes formed into rosettes. Also granular and massive. Occurs as grains in placer sands. Cleavage is absent. Fracture is conchoidal or uneven. Specific Gravity is 4.5 - 5.0 (average for metallic minerals). Streak is brownish black. Other Characteristics: Sometimes magnetic (will always become magnetic if heated) and there is basal and rhombohedral parting. Associated Minerals include zircon, hematite, magnetite, rutile, spinel, analcime, albite, apatite, monazite, calcite, natrolite, microcline, olivine, pyrrhotite, biotite nepheline and quartz. Notable Occurrences are wide spread and include the type locality from where it gets its name, Ilmen Lake in the Ilmen Mountains, Miask in the Southern portions of the Ural Mountain Chain, Russia as well as Sweden; Germany; Froland, Arendal and Kragero, Norway; Gilgit, Pakistan; Allard Lake and Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec and Bancroft, Ontario, Canada; Finland; the Eastern Shores of Australia and Brazil, Sri Lanka, China, Thailand, South Africa, India, Malaysia, Sierra Leone and in Orange County and Essex County, New York; Iron Mountain, Wyoming; Chester, Massachusetts; several sites in California and along the eastern seaboard of the United States. Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, density, lack of cleavage, luster, associations and streak. Colors: black Hardness: 5 to 6 Indicolite (see Tourmaline) Colors: shades of blue Hardness: 7 to 7.5 Inesite Luster is vitreous. Transparency: Crystals are generally translucent. Crystal System is triclinic; bar 1 Crystal Habits include prismatic crystals with chisel-like terminations. Also tabular and fibrous and in radiating aggregates and sphericules. Cleavage is good in one direction and perfect in another. Fracture is uneven. Specific Gravity is approximately 3.0 (average for translucent minerals) Streak is pale pink. Other Characteristics: Tarnishes to a brown color. Associated Minerals are rhodonite, serpentine, axinite, rhodochrosite and apophyllite. Notable Occurrences include New Broken Hill Mine, Australia; Nanzenbach, Germany; Trinity Co., California, USA and Durango, Mexico. Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, color, associations and luster. Colors: pink, orange, orange-red, rose Hardness: 6 Infinite Infinite is often called "a healer's stone." It is particularly useful for healers, athletes, chronic pain sufferers, and others who have an ongoing need for healing energies. Infinite is a soothing and calming stone. It can be used to draw pain out from affected areas. It does, however, need to be cleansed regularly. It is excellent for the treatment of joints, muscles, connective tissue, and is excellent at pain relief. It has been called a miracle stone. Iolite (Cordierite) A clear bluish-lavender mineral. Opens a light pathway from Throat Chakra up through Crown. Truth, simplicity, imagery, and peace are associated with Iolite. Iolite is considered a strong "Shaman" stone, and can stimulate visions. This is a good stone to use with alcohol and general addictions, use it as a detoxification, and to maintain sobriety. Iolite is one of the best stones to use in psychic, healing, and spiritual activities. It can open one to psychic talents and expand them, and is excellent for use on the third eye and crown chakras. It can also enhance curiosity. It is also an excellent stone for meditation and astral travel. It helps one grow spiritually in a peaceful approach. Iolite is also said to help build relationships. Colors: gray, blue, violet Hardness: 7 to 7.5 Iron This metal is traditionally said to promote balance, strength, endurance, protection, longevity, persistence, emotional stability, favorable legal situations, efficiency and skill. Luster is metallic. Transparency is opaque. Crystal System is isometric; 4/m bar 3 2/m Crystal Habits crystal form is extremely rare, when etched, meteoritic examples may show interesting and complicated intergrowths of cystals according to different nickel-iron concentrates. Terrestrial samples are massive and appear as small flakes and irregular masses. Meteoritic samples are usually rounded, pitted and irregular. Cleavage is absent but crystals will have distinct parallel partings. Fracture is hackly. Streak is gray metallic. Specific Gravity is 7.3-7.8 (heavy even for metallic) Other Characteristics: malleable, strongly attracted to magnets. Associated Minerals are olivine, pyroxenes, and some minerals that are only found in meteorites. In terrestrial samples it is found with gold and platinum and with sulfide ores. Notable Occurrences for meteoritic iron are best found in Antarctica, where meteorites are easy to spot against a background of snow and ice. Many specimens are found in Diablo Canyon, Arizona, USA; and in Gibbeon, Hoba, Namibia. Also Meteor Crater (Barringer Crater), Arizona, USA; Australia; Poland and elsewhere. For terrestrial iron, good specimens can be found in the Kola Pennisula, Russia; Disco Island, Greenland; Kassel, Germany and New Zealand. Best Field Indicators are color, malleability, attraction to magnets and forms. Colors: steel gray or black Hardness: 4 to 5 Quick Jump Links: A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

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