Kassite

Kassite is a rare mineral with formula CaTi₂O₄(OH)₂. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system and forms radiating rosettes and pseudo-hexagonal tabular crystals which are commonly twinned. Crystals are brownish pink to pale yellow and are translucent with an adamantine luster. Cleavage is distinct and the crystals are very brittle. Mohs hardness is 5 and the specific gravity is 3.42. The mineral is biaxial negative with refractive indices of nα = 1.950, nβ = 2.130 and nγ = 2.210.

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It was first described in 1965 from the Afrikanda pyroxenite massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia and was named for Nikolai Grigor’evich Kassin (1885–1949), Russian geologist. It occurs as miarolytic cavity fillings of alkalic pegmatites in the Kola occurrence and in nepheline syenite in the Magnet Cove igneous complex of Arkansas, USA. Its mineral association includes: cafetite, perovskite, titanite, rutile and ilmenite. It is polymorphous with cafetite.

References

• Mineral Data Publishing
• Mindat with location data
• Webmineral data