Phenakite - pretty rare mineral class of silicates, the transparent crystals of which for a long time mistaken for quartz. It is because of this external resemblance he got his name (Greek “phenax” - deceiver). Open at early XIX century in the Emerald Mines of the Middle Urals by the Russian master stone cutter Yakov Vasilyevich Kokovin (1787 - 1840).

The term “phenakite” was introduced by the Finnish chemist and mineralogist, corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences Nils Gustav Nordenskiöld in 1833. Synonyms: Ural diamond, cokovinite, phenacite.

Composition: beryllium orthosilicate - Be2. Theoretical BeO content is 45.53%. Real chemical composition close to theoretical. Only very minor impurities of calcium, germanium, boron, rare earth elements, etc. are noted.

Trigonal syngony. At the core crystal structure there are infinite chains in which two BeO4 tetrahedrons and one SiO4 tetrahedron alternate. Every three such chains are connected by the vertices of tetrahedrons into trigonal prism ribbons; SiO4 groups are arranged in a spiral.

It occurs in the form of crystals of various shapes - from flattened lenticular to elongated prismatic; The size of the crystals very rarely exceeds 20 cm in diameter. The faces of the prisms are often covered with vertical (or close to vertical) hatching; sometimes the strokes form triangles. On the surface of some crystals, dome-shaped formations and dissolution figures in the form of parallelograms or triangular pits are observed.

Phenakite; photograph under a microscope. © Lou Perloff

Forms germination twins, radial intergrowths and granular aggregates, intergrowths with fluorite. Characteristic inclusions are chlorites, muscovite, and aikinite.

Most often colorless; there are crystals of pale yellow, pink, greenish and brown color. The color of phenacite is very unstable and can completely disappear under the influence of ultraviolet rays. Thus, in 1867, thick cut Ural phenacite was sent to the World Exhibition in Paris. yellow color. After two months, the stone was completely discolored.

Gloss: glassy. Translucent to transparent. In UV rays it has a weak blue or yellowish fluorescence. Refractive index: 1.650 - 1.670. Max. birefringence - 0.017. Fragile. Fracture: conchoidal. Cleavage: imperfect and barely noticeable. Hardness: 7.5 - 8. Medium specific gravity- 2.98 g/cm3. Doesn't melt under a blowpipe. Does not dissolve in acids.

Phenakite is relatively rare, however, it is of some industrial interest as a component of beryllium ores (together with beryl). In pegmatites it is formed in the late stages of hydrothermal activity.

Phenakite on feldspar; crystal solution- about 1.5 cm; mountain district Antero, Colorado, USA. © Wendell Wilson

It is found in contact deposits, alpine-type veins, as well as in hydrothermal feldspathic, quartz, and fluorite veins. Often associated with beryl, .

In the first 30 years after its discovery, the volume of phenacite production in the Urals amounted to only 82 kg. For comparison, approximately the same amount of the famous Ural oil was mined in these places during this period. The largest phenacite crystal found in the Emerald Mines, weighing about 7 kg, is kept in the Ural Geological Museum. In the Urals, this mineral is also known in the Lipovskaya mine and in the alkaline pegmatites of the Ilmen Mountains. It is found in the Eastern Sayan, Transbaikalia, and Primorsky Territory.

Beautiful crystals are found in Alpine veins in Germany (near Munster), Switzerland (Ticino), Austria (Salzburg). Phenakite of gem quality is found in Ukraine (Volyn deposit), Norway (Telemark), India (Jammu and Kashmir), Namibia, Tanzania, Madagascar, Brazil (Bahia, Minas Gerais), USA (California, Maine).

A unique pebble-shaped phenacite weighing 1,470 carats was found in placers in Sri Lanka. It was used to cut a stone weighing 569 carats, which is stored in the Smithsonian Institution (Washington).

Transparent, beautifully colored phenacite crystals are cut for jewelry. This mineral is viscous, not sensitive to heat, and can be processed quite well. Step, emerald or diamond cuts are used. Exposure to gamma rays colorless crystals acquire a yellowish-brown tint. The size of cut, defect-free stones usually does not exceed 5 carats. Larger gems usually have cracks and inclusions. They're standing jewelry with phenacite it’s not cheap at all.

Phenakite received this name from the ancient Greek word “phaino”, which literally means “I show, I deceive.” Phenakite belongs to the subclass of island silicates.

This stone crystallizes in a trigonal system. Phenacite crystals are usually small and prismatic in appearance; rhombohedral ones are much less common. Radial-radiant intergrowths are characteristic of this mineral. The color of phenacite is usually pinkish, gray, colorless, yellowish, and white.

The stone is cast glassy shine. It can be transparent, semi-transparent, and there are also translucent specimens. Phenacite is insoluble in acid. It luminesces especially strongly in cathode rays.

Phenakite is usually mined in deposits near micas, fluorite, and sulfides. This mineral is also found in hydrothermal metasomatic formations.

First and foremost known deposit phenacite is located in the Urals. Phenakite is also mined in Norway, Africa and Brazil. The most valuable phenacites on the world market are found in deposits in the Urals in the Emerald Mines. In these mines they are found together with emeralds, sometimes reaching enormous sizes (6 - 7 cm).

Medicinal properties of phenacite

There is an opinion that this mineral has a beneficial effect on the entire body. Experts suggest that white or colorless specimens are removed nervous tension, relax after a busy day, soften the consequences stressful situations, generally improve the condition of the body and mood. Pink stones have a sedative effect.

The healing properties of phenacite are also manifested in the fact that it feeds a person with energy, which it takes from everything around it. Yellow stones cleanse the body of toxins, help with chronic insomnia, relieve unreasonable fears, stimulate gastric secretion, increase appetite and relieve indigestion.

Stone experts believe that phenacite enhances the healing effects of other stones, so it is recommended to use it in conjunction with other minerals.

The magical properties of phenacite

Phenacite is used for opening and development in humans supernatural abilities, such as clairvoyance, telepathy, clairaudience. To achieve such results, polished specimens are used, which are also used for meditation sessions.

Magicians and mediums, using the magical properties of phenacite, communicate with the spirits of ancestors and conduct spiritualistic seances, since they believe that the polished mineral is a specific conductor when communicating with the spirits of ancestors and other otherworldly forces.

Astrologers still cannot determine exactly which sign phenacite favors.
Phenakite is a talisman for magicians and mediums. You should also make a pendant for those people who want to know the world, penetrate into secrets unknown to them. To communicate with the other world, it is recommended to use a small ball.

Popular site articles from the “Dreams and Magic” section

. Why do cats dream? According to Miller, dreams about cats are a sign of bad luck. Except when the cat is killed or driven away. If a cat attacks the dreamer, then this means...

Phenakite is the thirteenth mineral discovered in the Urals. It was found at the Emerald Mines of Ya.V. Kokovin and was originally called cokovinite. Phenakite is a rather rare mineral, the crystals of which have long been mistaken for the crystals of the most common mineral on the planet - . It is because of this external similarity that the stone got its name (ancient Greek phaino - “I deceive”). Studied and described in detail by N. Nordenskiöld in 1833, he also assigned the mineral modern name. In the first 30 years, phenacite production amounted to only 82 kg. For comparison, approximately the same amount of famous Ural alexandrite was mined in these places during this period. The largest (up to 10 cm or more) phenacite crystals are found at the Mariinsky deposit. The largest phenacite crystal found in the Urals, weighing about 7 kg, is kept in the Ural Geological Museum.

Later on the territory of Russia, phenacite was also discovered in Transbaikalia and Primorsky Krai. Other mineral deposits are located in Ukraine (Zhytomyr region), Kazakhstan, southern Norway, Austria, Namibia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Brazil, USA (California, Maine)

According to its chemical composition, phenacite is beryllium silicate. The mineral is quite brittle, transparent to translucent, and has a fairly high hardness (7.5-8). In nature, phenacite is mainly found in the form of short-columnar crystals, sometimes growing up to 20 cm in diameter. Most often, phenacite is colorless, but crystals of pale yellow, pink, greenish and brown colors are found. The color of phenacite is very unstable and disappears under the influence of ultraviolet rays. So, in 1867, Ural faceted phenakite of thick yellow color was sent to the World Exhibition in Paris. After two months, the stone was completely discolored.

The production of synthetic phenacite has been mastered in Russia. IN jewelry it is sometimes used to imitate diamonds.

There is an opinion that this mineral has a beneficial effect on the entire body. Experts suggest that phenacites relieve nervous tension, relax after a busy day at work, mitigate the effects of stressful situations, and generally improve the body’s condition and mood. Phenakite is used to reveal and develop supernatural abilities in humans, such as clairvoyance, telepathy, and clairaudience.

The mineral phenacite is relatively rare, and its crystals have sufficient purity and outstanding optical properties. Why then are there so few phenacite inserts on the jewelry market? Why is a stone whose expressiveness is comparable to the beauty of amethyst and citrine not used?

And what is this name - phenakite? Translated from Greek, the word means “deceiving stone.” Who does phenakite deceive and how?

The answers lie in the history of the mineral

It cannot be said that phenacite hides too carefully from human gaze, and therefore remains invisible throughout the life of civilization. On the contrary: this mineral periodically fell into the hands of ore miners and prospectors, but they had never been able to distinguish it from quartz before.

The fact is that phenacite, being a beryllium silicate, looks almost like quartz - perhaps only a little darker. But quartz is not always the case! So throughout for a long time Phenakite really managed to deceive seekers.

Only in the first years of the 19th century did the Russian stonecutter Yakov Kokovin, a descendant of Count Stroganov’s serfs, study several transparent yellow crystals and come to the conclusion that in his hands was not the usual quartz, but a new and unknown mineral. In fairness, the stone was given the name of its discoverer.

Detailed Research semiprecious stone cokovinite was made by St. Petersburg chemist N.G. Nordenskiöld. He proposed the Hellenized name for beryllium orthosilicate. This is how phenacite appeared in the world of minerals.

Properties of phenacite

Phenacite contains surprisingly few impurities. If mineral crystals contain foreign elements, then in trace quantities. The hardness of phenacite is 7-8 Mohs points. The refractive index is close to 1.7 - which is higher than that of emerald and slightly lower than that of sapphire.

In nature, beryllium silicate crystals take different shapes– both flattened, like a grain of lentil, and elongated. Prismatic crystals of phenacite have relief, literally hatched edges. Sometimes the shading forms a triangular pattern.

Phenacite is usually uncolored. However, when mined from the depths, the mineral may have a yellowish, delicate pink or green. Brown phenakites are also found. But this coloring is very fragile! There is a known case when a brightly colored wine-yellow phenacite, after spending two months at the 1867 World Exhibition in Paris, completely lost its color.

Even small doses of ultraviolet radiation, scientists later found out, quickly discolor crystalline phenacite. Typically, ultraviolet irradiation causes the mineral to fluoresce bluish-violet or yellow. A stream of electrons directed at a phenacite crystal causes the stone to emit a turquoise glow.

Storing the bleached stone in the dark partially restores the color. Intense X-rays focused on discolored phenacite completely restore it optical properties! With prolonged exposure of the gem to X-rays, phenacite becomes pinkish. Gamma rays cause the crystal to turn brown, losing most of its red tint and instead acquiring a yellowish tint.

Phenacite is rare!

Rarity – important property phenacite, affecting the price of the mineral. The volume of phenacite production amounts to a few hundred kilograms over the entire history of development.

Precious ones occur in deposits mixed with phenacites - these are brother minerals, their formulas are similar (BeAl2O4 for alexandrite and Be2SiO4 for phenacite). Alexandrites were mined in the Urals in scanty quantities - and the rate of phenacite mining was even lower. And if phenacite showed greater color stability to light exposure, it is possible that its cost would be equal to the cost of alexandrite.

True, in last decades The widespread intensification of mineralogical exploration gave the world several new deposits of phenacite. Beryllium silicates are found among Alpine carbonates, and in the strata of Volyn granites, and in the mountainous regions of Scandinavia, South Africa, India, and both Americas. The most fashionable and expensive today are natural pink phenakites.

A seven-kilogram Ural phenakite is kept in the Ural Geological Museum. For Smithsonian Institution In Washington, phenacite from Sri Lanka was selected and cut. A rounded fragment of a colorless crystal weighing 294 grams was cut with a 70% loss of volume. This is the largest (569 carats) jewelry-processed phenacite.

Phenacite jewelry

At the jewelry market Phenacite jewelry is rare and expensive. Finished faceted phenacite inserts rarely reach five carats in weight. In most cases, yellowish-brown phenakite appears on display cases, which with a high degree of certainty suggests that the stone has been previously refined.

The technology for the synthesis of phenacite has been developed and mastered a long time ago. According to some reports, synthetic phenacite is used in the underground production of counterfeit diamonds. The high refractive index of light characteristic of phenacite gives scammers the opportunity

The name of the gemstone, Phenacit, comes from the Greek word φεναζ - I show, I deceive. This name was given to Phenakite for the reason that Phenakite was long mistaken for ordinary crystalline quartz. Since, when mining emerald in mines in the Urals, phenacite was found very often, but it was mistaken for quartz crystals, it was simply thrown into dumps. For the first time phenacite, like gem, was mined by master stonecutter Yakov Vasilyevich Kokovin (1787 - 1840) in the Urals in emerald mines on the Tokova River and described by mineralogist, corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, Niels Gustav Nordenschild in 1833. Phenakite, unlike ordinary crystalline quartz, has more high performance refraction and has a higher specific gravity (density). Synonyms for phenacite: Ural diamond, cokovinite, phenacite. Subsequently, Phenakite began to be mined for making jewelry.

Chemical composition of phenacite Be 2. Theoretical BeO content is 45.53%. The actual chemical composition is close to the theoretical one. Only very minor impurities of calcium, germanium, boron, rare earth elements, etc. are noted. The crystal system of phenakite is hexagonal (according to Academician N.I. Koksharov): rhombohedral-tetartohedral. The crystal structure is based on endless chains in which two BeO4 tetrahedrons and one SiO4 tetrahedron alternate. Every three such chains are connected by the vertices of tetrahedrons into trigonal ribbon-prisms, the SiO4 groups are arranged in a spiral in them. Tver = 7.5….8.0; Density = 2.96…3.0 g/cm3. The color of phenacite is most often colorless, but it can also be slightly tinted yellow (shade of sherry); it can also be pink and even reddish; reddish color It is rare and therefore highly valued. The color of phenacite is very unstable and can completely disappear under the influence of ultraviolet rays. For example, in 1867, Ural faceted phenakite of thick yellow color was sent to the World Exhibition in Paris. After two months, the stone was completely discolored.

Faceted phenacite resembles a diamond, rock crystal, noble beryl, beryllonite, danburite, cerussite.

Transparent, beautifully colored phenacite crystals are cut for jewelry. This mineral is viscous, not sensitive to heat, and can be processed quite well. Step, emerald or diamond cuts are used. When exposed to gamma rays, colorless crystals acquire a yellowish-brown tint. The size of cut, defect-free stones usually does not exceed 5 carats. Larger gems usually have cracks and inclusions. Jewelry with phenacite is not cheap at all.

Faceted phenakite surpasses the best colorless Brazilian topaz in its brilliance, but is inferior in beauty to colorless corundum and diamond. Currently, phenakite is found in Russia, Norway, Africa and Brazil. The best phenakites are found in the Urals in the Emerald Mines, where they are mined together with emeralds and alexandrites in mica schist and sometimes reach sizes of 6 - 7 cm in length.

Medicinal properties of phenacite.

This mineral is believed to have a beneficial effect on the entire body. Some lithotherapists suggest that white or colorless stones relieve nervous tension, soften Negative consequences stressful situations, improve mood. Pink stones have a sedative effect on nervous system. Yellow stones cleanse the body, help with insomnia, stimulate gastric secretion, improve appetite. Stone experts are confident that phenacite enhances therapeutic effect other stones. Phenakite actively affects the parietal chakra.

The magical properties of phenacite.

In modern times, phenacite is used to develop supernatural properties in humans, such as clairvoyance. To achieve such abilities, polished stones are used, which are used for meditation. Practicing magicians and mediums use phenacite to conduct spiritualistic seances. The polished mineral is a conductor when communicating with otherworldly forces. Experts cannot say exactly which zodiac sign is protected by phenacite.

Talismans and amulets.

Phenakite is a talisman of magicians and mediums. A pendant with phenacite is a talisman for people who strive to know the unknown. A strong talisman a small ball of phenacite can be used to communicate with the other world. In some African countries, phenacite is used to make amulets that protect against black magic and call on good spirits for help.