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Name Origin | After F. L. D. Ekanayake who first found it in a Ceylon gravel pit |
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Chemical Formula | (Th,U)(Ca, Fe, Pb)2Si8O20 |
Color | Green, dark brown |
Hardness | 5-6.5 on Mohs Scale |
Crystal System | Tetragonal. Crystals elongated parallel to long crystal axis, massive pebbles. |
Cleavage | None |
Specific Gravity (SG) | 3.28 - 3.32 |
Luster | Vitreous |
Fracture | Subconchoidal to uneven, brittle |
Occurrence |
Discovered in 1953 as waterworn, translucent green pebbles at Eheliyagoda, near Ratnapura, Ceylon. Occurs in the gem gravels. Some cut Ceylon stones have 4-rayed stars |
Note: Ekanite is metamict as a result of the U and Th content. The properties vary, depending on the degree of breakdown of the structure. Ekanite is one of the very rarest of all gemstones, and only few are known. More undoubtedly exist, that have been sold as other Ceylon gems, but the total number of gems is a mere handful
References:
1- Color Encyclopedia of Gemstones, Joel E. Arem, VNR publications, New York.
1- Color Encyclopedia of Gemstones, Joel E. Arem, VNR publications, New York.