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Vestaite
A valid IMA mineral species
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Formula:
(Ti4+Fe2+)Ti4+3O9
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
Named after asteroid 4 Vesta. Vestaite was found in a meteorite of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) clan, all thought to have originated from the crust of the asteroid Vesta.
Type Locality:
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
52576
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:52576:3
Similar Names
| Vestanite | A synonym of 'Westanite' |
IMA Classification of Vestaite
Approved
Approval year:
2017
First published:
2018
Classification of Vestaite
4.CB.35
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
C : Metal: Oxygen = 2: 3,3: 5, and similar
B : With medium-sized cations
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
C : Metal: Oxygen = 2: 3,3: 5, and similar
B : With medium-sized cations
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Vst | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Chemistry of Vestaite
Mindat Formula:
(Ti4+Fe2+)Ti4+3O9
Element Weights:
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Vestaite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
B2/b
Setting:
C2/c
Cell Parameters:
a = 17.03(2) Å, b = 4.98(1) Å, c = 7.08(1) Å
β = 106.3(2)°
β = 106.3(2)°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 3.42 : 1 : 1.422
Unit Cell V:
576.32 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 4.084 Å | (44) |
| 3.398 Å | (60) |
| 2.880 Å | (77) |
| 2.732 Å | (100) |
| 2.425 Å | (42) |
| 1.705 Å | (38) |
| 1.694 Å | (50) |
| 1.643 Å | (48) |
Locality:
Comments:
From Type Description.
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 2: Planetesimal differentiation and alteration | 4.566-4.550 |
| 6 : Secondary asteroid phases | 4.566-4.560 |
Type Occurrence of Vestaite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Euhedral to subhedral crystals, ~0.2–0.5 µm in width and up to ~2.5 µm in length with normally columnar to platy habit.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Type material is deposited in the mineralogical collections of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Sellierstrasse 6, 07745 Jena, Germany, catalogue numbers 42073 and 42074.
Empirical Formula of Type Material:
(Ti4+0.73Fe2+0.63Al0.60Mn0.03Mg0.02Cr0.01)Ti4+3O9
Geological Setting of Type Material:
In shock melt pockets of eucrite meteorite
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
4 Vesta, Main Belt Asteroids, Outer Space