Kurnakovite

Kurnakovite – Giant Crystal Baker mine, Boron, Kramer District, Kern Co., California, USA Large Cabinet, 23.5 x 14.6 x 12.7 cm © irocks
Chemical Formula:  MgB3O3(OH)5·5H2O
Locality: Inder, Kazakhstan.
Name Origin: Named for Nikolai S. Kurnakov (1860-1941), Russian mineralogist.Kurnakovite is a hydrated borate mineral with the chemical composition MgB3O3(OH)5·5H2O. It is a member of the inderite group and is a triclinic dimorph of the monoclinic inderite.

Discovery and occurrence

Kurnakovite, was first described by Godlevsky in 1940 for an occurrence in the Inder borate deposits in Atyrau Province, Kazakhstan, and is named for Russian mineralogist and chemist Nikolai Semenovich Kurnakov (1860–1941).

In addition to the type locality in Kazakhstan, kurakovite has also been reported from the Zhacang-Caka brine lake, Tibet; the Kirka borate deposit, Kiitahya Province, Turkey; the Kramer borate deposit, Boron, Kern County, California; Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California; and the Tincalayu borax deposit, Salar del Hombre Muerto, Salta Province, Argentina.

History

Discovery date : 1940
Town of Origin : GIS. INDER, KAZAKHSTAN
Country of Origin : RUSSIE ex-URSS

Optical properties

Optical and misc. Properties : Transparent
Refractive Index : from 1,48 to 1,51
Axial angle 2V: 63°

Physical Properties

Cleavage: {110} Good, {001} Indistinct
Color: Colorless, White.
Density: 1.83
Diaphaneity: Transparent
Fracture: Brittle – Conchoidal – Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.
Hardness: 3 – Calcite
Luster: Vitreous – Pearly
Streak: white

Photos :

Kurnakovite – Giant Crystal Baker mine, Boron, Kramer District, Kern Co., California, USA Large Cabinet, 15.4 x 14.1 x 7.2 cm © irocks
U.S. Borax open pit (Boron pit), U.S. Borax Mine (Pacific West Coast Borax; Pacific Coast Borax Co.; Boron Mine; U.S. Borax and Chemical Corp.; Kramer Mine; Baker Mine), Kramer Borate deposit, Boron, Kramer District, Kern Co., California, USA