Fundamental Minerals

Sialic Minerals

• Feldspars
Feldspars minerals
Alkali Feldspars
Plagioclase

• Feldspathoids
Feldspathoids
Cancrinite
Haüyne
Leucite
Nepheline
Sodalite

• Quartz

Femic Minerals

• Amphiboles
• Biotite
• Sagenitic biotite
• Kaersutite
• Olivine
• Pyroxenes
Structure/classification
Clinopyroxene

• Spodumene

Accessory Minerals

• Apatite
• Chromite
• Ilmenite
• Magnetite
• Zircon

Rare Accessory

• Allanite
• Andalusite
• Astrophyllite
• Beryl
• Calcite
• Cancrinite
• Catapleiite
• Cordierite
• Diaspore
• Eudialyte
• Fluorite
• Garnets
• Lazulite
• Lamprophyllite
• Lorenzenite
• Monticellite
• Muscovite
• Natrolite
• Naujakasite
• Niocalite
• Perovskite
• Polylithionite
• Rosenbuschite
• Rutile
• Scapolite
• Sørensenite
• Titanite
• Topaz
• Tourmaline
• Tugtupite
• Ussingite
• Wollastonite
• Xenotime
• Zinnwaldite

Alteration Products

• Chlorite
• Saussurite
• Sericite
• Uralite
• Wairakite

Microstructures

• Antiperthite
• Exsolution lamellae
• Graphic texture
• Granophyric texture
• Magmatic flow
• Myrmekite
• Pleochroic halo
• Poikilitic texture
• Perthite
• Pseudoleucite
• Zoning

Rocks

• Alkali feldspar granite
• Alkali feldspar syenite
• Alnö complex
Alnö complex
Alnöite
Sövite

• Anorthosite
• Brandberg granites
• Borolanite
• Carbonatites
Carbonatites
Alnö (Sweden)
Fogo (C. Verde)
Sao Vicente (C. Verde)
Oka (Canada)
Sokli (Finland)
Valentine (Canada)

• Cumberlandite
• Cumulate rocks
Cumulate
Adcumulate
Orthocumulate

• Diorite
• Dunite (Dun)
• Ekerite
• Eurite
• Finero harzburgite
• Foidolite (leucite)
• Foidolite (nepheline)
• Foidolite (haüyne)
• Foyaite
• Gabbro
• Gabbro "eufodite"
• Gabbro with augite
• Gabbronorite
• Granite
• Granophyre
• Greisen
• Hornblendite
• Hornblendite (cpx-hbl)
• Hornblende gabbro
• Hornblende gabbro (Adamello)
• Ijolite
• Ijolite (Magnet Cove)
• Ilimaussaq magmatic complex
Ilimaussaq
Black kakortokite
Red kakortokite
White kakortokite
Lujavrite
Naujakasite lujavrite
Naujaite
Tugtupite syenite

• Jacupiranga complex
Jacupiranga
Sövite

• Jacupirangite (Alnö)
• Jotunite
• Italite
• Kakortokite
• Kaxtorpite
• Kentallenite
• Lakarpite
• Larvik
Larvik complex
Ekerite
Larvikite

• Lherzolite (TL)
• Leucogranite
• Lujavrite
• Lugarite
• Luxullianite
• Melilitolite
• Melilitolite (wollastonite)
• Melteigite
• Monzonite
• Monzodiorite
• Naujaite
• Nepheline syenite
• Norra Kärr complex
Norra Kärr
Kaxtorpite
Lakarpite
Pulaskite

• Norite
• Olivine hornblendite
• Oka complex
Oka complex
Niocalite carbonatite
Monticellite carbonatite

• Olivine gabbro
• Orthopyroxenite
• Pegmatite
• Pegmatite (cancrinite)
• Pegmatite (nepheline)
• Peralkaline granite
• Peridotites
Peridotites
Dunite
Wherlite
Harzburgite
Garnet lherzolite
Spinel lherzolite

• Pyroxenite
• Pulaskite
• Quartz-gabbro
• Rhum layerded complex
• Serpentinized lherzolite
• Syenite
• Synnyrite
• Syenogranite
• Sodalite syenite
• Tonalite
• Troctolite
• Urtite

Catapleiite - Na₂Zr(Si₃O₉) * 2H₂O

Catapleiite was first described from Laven, Langesundsfjorden, Norway. The name is from the Greek words kata, meaning "at" or "with," and pleios, meaning "majority" or "many", as it is always found with other rare minerals. Catapleiite is relatively common minor constituent of alkaline plutonic rocks, particularly nepheline and sodalite syenites, and their associated pegmatite and veins. Catapleiite is rarely a primary mineral and it usually occur as a replacement product of eudialyte. A notable exception is the presence of primary catapleiite both as phenocryst and as constituent of the groundmass in the grennaites (eudyalite-syenites) of Norra Karr alkaline complex in Sweden. In some grennaite pegmatites catapleiite occurs in well-developed crystals and may constitute as much as 10 vol.% of the rock.

Optical properties:
• Form: Pseudohexagonal, tabular crystals.
• Cleavage: Perfect on (001) and (101).
• Color: Colorless in thin section.
• Birefringence: High, from yellow to violet.

Pegmatitic grennaiite with large catapleiite crystals (brown) and acicular aegirine (dark): Norra Kärr Alkaline complex, Sweden. From: Hildegard Wilske

Bibliography

• Cox et al. (1979): The Interpretation of Igneous Rocks, George Allen and Unwin, London.
• Howie, R. A., Zussman, J., & Deer, W. (1992). An introduction to the rock-forming minerals (p. 696). Longman.
• Le Maitre, R. W., Streckeisen, A., Zanettin, B., Le Bas, M. J., Bonin, B., Bateman, P., & Lameyre, J. (2002). Igneous rocks. A classification and glossary of terms, 2. Cambridge University Press.
• Middlemost, E. A. (1986). Magmas and magmatic rocks: an introduction to igneous petrology.
• Shelley, D. (1993). Igneous and metamorphic rocks under the microscope: classification, textures, microstructures and mineral preferred-orientations.
• Vernon, R. H. & Clarke, G. L. (2008): Principles of Metamorphic Petrology. Cambridge University Press.

Photo

Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) and astrophyllite crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) and astrophyllite crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) and astrophyllite crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) and astrophyllite crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) and astrophyllite crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) and astrophyllite crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) and astrophyllite crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
Catapleiite (colorless) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) and aegirine (green) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) and astrophyllite crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) and aegirine (green) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) and astrophyllite crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)
Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) and astrophyllite crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)
Catapleiite (colorless) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)
Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) and astrophyllite (brown) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)
Catapleiite (colorless) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)
Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Catapleiite (colorless) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Catapleiite (blue-violet interference colors) crystals in a syenite from Langesundsfjorden, Larvik (Norway). XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)