Mineralpedia Details for Pezzottaite

Named after Dr. Federico Pezzotta of the Museo Civico in Milano, Italy. Appears as a deep red-purple tabular crystals or in aggregates, often partially deeply corroded. Found in a pegmatite in association with smoky quartz, albite, elbaite, spodumene, lepidolite, and danburite at the type locality at Sakavalana mine at Ambatovia near Mandrosocoro in the Fianarantsoa province of Madagascar. It can also be found in Afghanistan at the Dewa mine in the Nuristan province and at Dara-i-Pech in the Konar province.

Ref. Minerals and their Localities, Bernard, J.H. and Hyršl, J. (2004)

IMA/CNMNC List of Mineral Names (2009) and Mineralogical Record 35 (2004), 369

Formula

CsLiBe₂Al₂Si₆O₁₈ 

Crystal System

Trigonal 

Crystal Habit

Tabular, Hexagonal 

Cleavage

Imperfect, None, None 

Luster

Vitreous (Glassy) 

Color

raspberry red, pink 

Streak

white 

Class

Trigonal - Ditrigonal Pyramidal 

Fracture

Brittle - Conchoidal 

Hardness

8 

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Several gemmy, euhedral micro crystals to about 1mm. Pezzottaite is an extremely rare cesium beryl. Pezzottaite was first described by Laurs, B. L. et al. (2003) in Gems & Gemology 39 (4): 284-301 since it was a new gem mineral. It is named for Dr. Federico Pezzotta in recognition for his extensive research on pegmatite minerals. Dr. Pezzotta obtained his doctorate from the University of Milan. He is presently the Curator of Mineralogy at the Museo di Storia Naturale, Milano, Italy. He also serves as Chief of Board of Rivista Mineralogica Italiana. His website: http://www.fpezzotta.net/ lists countless papers for which he authored.