Class: Silicates
Group: Zeolite
Original description: ‘Pollux’ Breithaupt, J. F. A., 1846. Pollux — Annalen der Physik und Chemie 69: 439 [
view in ‘Library’].
Type locality: unknown.
Type material: Technische Universität Bergakademie, Freiberg, Germany, 27111 (
Anthony et al., 2001—2005).
Etymology: named after Pollux, a figure from Greek mythology, brother of Castor, for its common association with ‘castorite’ [
petalite].
Distribution: Afghanistan: Laghman; Brazil: Minas Gerais; Canada: Manitoba; Italy: around San Piero in Campo, Elba; Namibia: Karibib; Pakistan: Skardu and Gilgit; Sweden; USA: from a number of localities in Oxford Co., Maine; Zimbabwe (
Anthony et al., 2001—2005).
Chemistry
(Cs,Na)(AlSi2O6)·0.5H2O
Essential elements: hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), sodium (Na), aluminium (Al), silicon (Si), caesium (Cs).
Crystal data
Crystallography: isometric — hexoctahedral.
Crystal habit: crystals rare, cubes, dodecahedra, or trapezohedra, commonly striated, up to 12 cm; as rounded grains, fine-grained, massive (
Anthony et al., 2001—2005).
Material from ‘Repository’