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Gittinsite mineral

Anhydrous calcium-zirconium sorosilicate (pyrosilicate) mineral with current September 2026 IMA-CNMNC approved formula CaZrSi2O7, status A, and approval number IMA 1979-034. Ansell, Roberts, Plant, and Sturman (1980) described the holotype specimen (Geological Survey of Canada No. 19558) as chalky fine-grained intergrowths with apophyllite after eudialyte in pegmatitic lenses of the Kipawa River peralkaline alkalic complex, Villedieu Township, Temiscaming County, Quebec, Canada. Electron-microprobe analysis of the Kipawa holotype (p. 203) yielded CaO 18.4, ZrO2 40.3, SiO2 40.8, total 99.5 wt%, corresponding on the basis of 7 O atoms to the empirical formula Ca0.98Zr0.98Si2.03O7, with initial powder X-ray diffraction indexed on a monoclinic cell (a = 6.878(4), b = 8.674(4), c = 4.697(2) A, beta = 101.74(4) degrees, V = 274.34 A3, Z = 2). Roelofsen-Ahl and Peterson (1989) solved the single-crystal structure on a specimen from the Strange Lake peralkaline granite, Quebec-Labrador, Canada (NMC 66057; WDS composition CaO 18.8, FeO 0.3, PbO 0.2, ZrO2 40.3, SiO2 40.8, F 0.2, less O=F 0.1, total 100.5 wt%) in acentric monoclinic space group C2 (a = 6.852(2), b = 8.659(1), c = 4.686(2) A, beta = 101.69(2) degrees, V = 272.(1) A3, Z = 2, R = 3.1%, Rw = 3.9% for 513 observed reflections with I > 3sigma(I) out of 522 unique reflections), showing that ordering of [CaO6] and [ZrO6] octahedra within the octahedral sheets and bending of the pyrosilicate [Si2O7]6- bridge (Si-O1-Si = 147.4(5) degrees) lower the symmetry from the ideal C2/m thortveitite aristotype to C2. Distinct from armstrongite, vlasovite, eudialyte, and elemental zirconium; no criticality designation, microbial mechanism, or industrial recovery yield is asserted.

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Identifiers & Classification

System Identifier Label
IMA IMA:1979-034 Gittinsite

Sources & References

  1. ima_2026_09: IMA-CNMNC, The New IMA List of Minerals, September 2026, PDF page 83, Gittinsite row: formula CaZrSi2O7, status A, IMA No. 1979-034, country Canada, first reference Canadian Mineralogist 18 (1980), 201, second reference Canadian Mineralogist 27 (1989), 703; column definitions on PDF page 1.
    https://cnmnc.units.it/files/editor/IMA_Master_List_(2026-09).pdf (accessed 2026-10-22)
  2. ansell_1980_gittinsite: Ansell HG, Roberts AC, Plant AG, Sturman BD (1980), Gittinsite, a new calcium zirconium silicate from the Kipawa agpaitic syenite complex, Quebec, Canadian Mineralogist 18:201-203. Complete 3-page primary PDF visually inspected: Kipawa holotype GSC 19558 occurrence, optical properties, powder XRD Table 1, and EMPA chemistry pp. 201-203.
    https://www.rruff.net/doclib/cm/vol18/CM18_201.pdf (accessed 2026-10-22)
  3. roelofsen_ahl_1989_gittinsite: Roelofsen-Ahl JN, Peterson RC (1989), Gittinsite: a modification of the thortveitite structure, Canadian Mineralogist 27:703-708. Complete 6-page primary PDF visually inspected: Strange Lake crystal NMC 66057 WDS chemistry and monoclinic C2 single-crystal structure refinement Tables 1-4 and Figures 1-3 pp. 703-708.
    https://www.rruff.net/doclib/cm/vol27/CM27_703.pdf (accessed 2026-10-22)

Curation History

Timestamp Curator Action Summary
2026-10-22T07:20:00Z antigravity CREATE Created gittinsite mineral record with verified IMA:1979-034 identity, 1980 Kipawa River holotype EMPA chemistry, and 1989 Strange Lake monoclinic C2 crystal-structure refinement.

Record source: data/records/gittinsite.yaml