Cleavelandite

Cleavelandite is a variety of albite, a plagioclase feldspar

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Two views of a cleavelandite of unknown origin

Origin of name: first described in 1817 by German mineralogist and geologist Johann Friedrich Ludwig Hausmann, who called the mineral "Kieselspath" (siliceous spar).
In 1822 British mineralogist and crystallographer Henry James Brooke published an article called A Description of the Crystalline Form of some new Minerals in the renowned journal Annals of Philosophy; or, Magazine of Chemistry, Mineralology, Mechanics, Natural History, Agriculture and the Arts, in which he states that albite and the "siliceous spar of Haussman" [sic] are varieties of one and the same mineral and proposes the name Cleavelandite in honour of Parker Cleaveland, professor of geology and mineralogy at Bowdoin College in Maine, USA. Cleaveland was the author of the famous textbook "An Elementary Treatise on Mineralogy and Geology" and is widely regarded as the father of American mineralogy.

Synonyms and trade names: none

Can be confused with: other feldspars like amazonite. Colourless cleavelandite can be confused with mica, calcite, quartz and many more minerals.

Localities:  cleavelandite is commonly found in pegmatites, often associated with other minerals like tourmaline, beryl, quartz and mica. Throughout the world about 700 localities are known, mostly in the USA. Other notable sources are Canada, Brazil, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa and Australia.
Important European localities are Scandinavia (particularly Finland and Norway), the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as Portugal.

Handling: cleavelandite, especially when associated with other minerals, is mostly cherished by mineral collectors and hardly ever cut. It has perfect cleavage, is quite brittle and sensitive to heat, acids and brines. No ultrasonic cleaning, no electroplating!

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