Amesite

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Photos of Amesite (77)
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Amesite, etc.

Saranovskii Mine, Saranovskaya Village, Gornozavodskii District, Perm Krai, Russia

04710210014949942245761.jpg
Amesite

Saranovskii Mine, Saranovskaya Village, Gornozavodskii District, Perm Krai, Russia

08115730014958964693378.jpg
Amesite

Saranovskii Mine, Saranovskaya Village, Gornozavodskii District, Perm Krai, Russia

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About AmesiteHide
Formula:Mg2Al(AlSiO5)(OH)4Colour:Originally pale grayish blue-green, also white,
colourless, pale green, pink to lilac (chromian)Lustre:Resinous, Waxy, Greasy, Sub-
MetallicHardness:2� - 3Specific Gravity:2.77 - 2.78Crystal System:TriclinicMember
of:Serpentine Subgroup > Kaolinite-Serpentine GroupName:Named in 1876 by Charles
Upham Shepard in honor of James Tyler Ames [May 13, 1810 Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
- February 16, 1883 Chicopee, Massachusetts, USA], who was part owner of the
Chester Emery Mines. Ames came from a family of inventors and manufacturers. A
close relative, John Ames, made many important mechanical developments in modern
machine-made paper. James originally worked manufacturing cutlery and edge weapons
in his father's [Nathan P. Ames, Sr.] factory. "In 1834, he removed to Chicopee
Center, where the Ames Manufacturing Company was established, with Edmund Dwight,
of Boston, president, James T. Ames, superintendent, and Nathan P. Ames [Jr.],
agent. The company made contracts with the United States government for a lot of
swords. Mr. [James T.] Ames had a rare genius for inventions ; in company with
General James of Rhode Island, he invented a ball that was afterwards patented, and
out of which grew the necessity of rifled cannon. During the War of the Rebellion
he had large contracts with the government for the making of swords, cannon, and
for military accoutrements, and also secured a contract for government mail
bags. ... Mr. Ames was the first to introduce bronze statuary work in the United
States. His first work was the construction of the Washington statue, in Union
Square, New York. The bronze doors of the Senate extension of the National Capitol
at Washington were made under his supervision, and "were masterly specimens of his
genius, and famous as triumphs of art. ... In 1856, he went to England, where he
obtained several important contracts, one of which was to furnish the Enfield Arms
Works (controlled by the English government) with machinery for the manufacture of
guns of the same pattern as that used at the Springfield Armory. He also obtained a
contract for similar machinery for the Birmingham Small Arms Works. He visited
France and interested Napoleon in the machinery used in the manufacture of arms. He
met and became acquainted with the designer of the Crystal Palace; through his
friendship he was enabled to meet nearly all the prominent mechanical engineers of
Europe. He furnished Spain with machinery for the making of arms. He was one of the
first to engage in silver plating in this country. He was much interested in
mineralogy and had an unusual and rare collection of minerals. He was a skilful
carver in wood, unique figures of which he often presented to his friends as
keepsakes." (Chapin,C.W. 1893). See also Van Slyck (1879).

Because of C. U. Shepard's acceptance of the phosophy of external characters of

minerals, his new minerals were consequently closely scrutinized by his brother-in-
law, James D. Dana and other family members. Amesite was quickly relegated to
varietal status under the chlorite Shepard had named corundophilite, also from the
Chester Emery Mines.
Amesite was re-established as a species by Shannon (1920), although he continued to
refer to amesite as a chlorite. Gruner (1944) demonstrated that amesite is a
serpentine.Type Locality:? Chester Emery Mines, Chester, Hampden Co.,
Massachusetts, USA
Several polytypes are known: 2H1, 2H2, 6R and others.

Classification of AmesiteHide
IMA status:Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
First Published:1876
Strunz 8th ed.:8/H.27-100
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) ed.:9.ED.15

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
E : Phyllosilicates
D : Phyllosilicates with kaolinite layers composed of tetrahedral and octahedral
nets
Dana 8th ed.:71.1.2c.1

71 : PHYLLOSILICATES Sheets of Six-Membered Rings

1 : Sheets of 6-membered rings with 1:1 layers
Hey's CIM Ref.:16.19.7

16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals

19 : Aluminosilicates of Fe and Mg
Physical Properties of AmesiteHide
Lustre:Resinous, Waxy, Greasy, Sub-Metallic
Transparency:Translucent
Comment:Somewhat metallic on cleavage
Colour:Originally pale grayish blue-green, also white, colourless, pale green, pink
to lilac (chromian)
Streak:White with very pale green tint
Hardness:2� - 3 on Mohs scale
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Perfect
on {001}
Density:2.77 - 2.78 g/cm3 (Measured) 2.7 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of AmesiteHide
Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values:na = 1.597 n� = 1.597 - 1.599 n? = 1.612 - 1.615
2V:Measured: 18�
Birefringence:0.016
Max Birefringence:
d = 0.015 - 0.018
Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30�m thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Moderate
Dispersion:r < v weak
Optical Extinction:BXa perpendicular to (001)
Chemical Properties of AmesiteHide
Formula:Mg2Al(AlSiO5)(OH)4
Elements listed:Al, H, Mg, O, Si - search for minerals with similar chemistry
Crystallography of AmesiteHide
Polytype:
Formula:
Crystal System:
Class (H-M)
Space Group:
Space Group Setting:
Cell Parameters:
Ratio:
Unit Cell Volume (calc):
Z:
Amesite-2H1 Amesite-2H2 Amesite-6R
(Mg2Al)(SiAl)O5(OH)4
Triclinic Triclinic Hexagonal
1 - Pedial 1 - Pedial 6 - Pyramidal
P1 P63

a = 5.299(1) �, b = 9.181(2) �, c = 14.050(3) �

a = 90.06(2)�, � = 90.30(2)�, ? = 90.00(1)� a = 5.307(1) �, b = 9.195(2) �, c =
14.068(3) �
a = 90.09(2)�, � = 90.25(2)�, ? = 89.96(2)� a = 5.31(1) �, c = 14.04(2) �
a:b:c = 0.577 : 1 : 1.53 a:b:c = 0.577 : 1 : 1.53 a:c = 1 : 2.644
V 683.6 ų V 686.48 ų
(Calculated from Unit Cell) V 342.84 ų
(Calculated from Unit Cell)

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing Intensity
7.0 � (100)
3.51 � (100)
2.600 � (40)
2.476 � (80)
1.925 � (70)
1.528 � (60)
1.462 � (35)
Comments:Powder data for 2H2 polytype.
Geological EnvironmentHide
Geological Setting:Low grade metamorphism of Al-, Mg-rich rocks
Type Occurrence of AmesiteHide
Type Locality:? Chester Emery Mines, Chester, Hampden Co., Massachusetts, USA
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Emery deposit
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Rutile Magnetite Diaspore Clinochlore
Synonyms of AmesiteHide
Amenite

Amensite

Amesine

magnesium kaolinite

Septeamesite

Other Language Names for AmesiteHide

German:Amensit
Amesit
Septeamesit
Russian:??????
Simplified Chinese:?????
????
Spanish:Amensita
Amesita
Septeamesita