Axinite

Name for a group of minerals of the silicates and germanates class. Group members are Axinite-Fe, Axinite-Mg, Axinite-Mn and Tinzenite. Most axinites are Axinite-Fe.

Axinite shop

Axinit-Fe from the Nausherwani Mine, Karhan District, Balutchistan, Pakistan

Origin of name: originally named Espéce de Schorl by Johann Gottfried Schreiber in 1781. Named Schorl violet and Schorl transparent lenticulaire by Romé de L'Isle in 1785. Named Thumerstein by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1788, later spelled Thumite. Named Yanolite by Jean Claude de la Métherie in 1792. Named Glasschörl by Blumenberg in 1799 (also glasstein). Named axinit in 1797 by Rene Just Haüy from the Greek αξίνα ("axina") for "axe", in allusion to the common habit of its crystals. Renamed ferroaxinite by Waldemar T. Schaller in 1909 for iron dominance in the formula. Renamed with suffix "-(Fe)" by IMA in 2007.
^mindat.org

Synonyms and trade names: see above, origin of name

Can be confused with: similarly coloured minerals like andalusite, kornerupine, tourmaline, smoky quartz, topaz and others

Localities: worldwide, mindat.org lists about 800 localities, more than 40 in Austria

Handling: axinite is quite hard but rather brittle and cleaves well in one direction. heat-sensitive, unset before soldering.

Axinite shop