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| Name Origin | The name derived from the Greek pektos, meaning congealed because of the translucent appearance the mineral sometimes has. |
|---|---|
| Chemical Formula | NaCa2Si3O8 (OH) |
| Color | Colorless, white, gray |
| Hardness | 4.5-5 on Mohs Scale |
| Crystal System | Triclinic. Ceystals acicular, radial or globular masses. Often in fibrous or fibrous-radiating spherical aggregates, white or gray. |
| Cleavage | Perfect 1 direction. Fracture splintery |
| Specific Gravity (SG) | 2.74-2.88 |
| Pleochroism | None |
| Luster | Vitreous to silky |
| Uses |
This mineral is of interest of scientists and collectors |
| Stone Size |
Cabochons up to few inches have been cut from dense massive or fibrous material. The number of faceted gems are very small |
| Main Sources |
Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Greenland, Italy, Morocco, South Africa, Sweden, United States |
Note: Prctolite is a hydrous silicate of sodium and calcium which is formed by hydrothermal processes. Fibrous pectolite has chatoyancy that gives a catseye effect to cabochons. Some specimens give off flashes of light when scraped with a metal (triboluminescence). Dominican pectolite is the very beautiful; it is very compact therefore, takes a very high polish. They have a sky-blue tinges (due to presence of copper) and are sometimes marketed as gemstone under the trade name Larimar (Lorimar).
Pectolite Mt St Hilaire Quebec Canada
Blue Larimar Pakistan
References: Color Encyclopedia of Gemstones, Joel E. Arem, VNR publications, New York.
Photo Credit: www.shutterstone.com
Photo Credit: www.shutterstone.com