Wannenköpfe

The Wannenköpfe Ochtendung, Eifel region, Germany
The Minerals
SODALITE
Sodalite is a rare, rich royal blue mineral widely enjoyed as an ornamental stone. Although massive sodalite samples are opaque, crystals are usually transparent to translucent. Sodalite is a member of the sodalite group, together with hauyne, nosean and lazurite. Sodalite is named after its sodium content. In mineralogy it may be classed as a feldspathoid. Well known for its blue color, sodalite may also be grey, yellow, green, pink, cream, white or colorless and is often mottled with white veins or patches. The more uniformly blue material is used in jewellery, where it is fashioned into cabochons and beads. Lesser material is more often seen as facing or inlay in various applications.

In the Eifel district Sodalite is definitely listed as late as 1939 ! Fresh Sodalites are colorless and clear or lightly troubled. White crystals are weathered (verweerd, verwitterd). At the Wannenköpfe you can find Sodalite crystals both in lavaslags (together with Sanidine, Apatite, Amphibole and Pyroxene) and in several kinds of xenoliths, together with Sanidine, Topaz, Biotite, Pseudobrookite, Rutile, Cristobalite, Nepheline, Leucite, Nosean, Mullite, Corundum............and sometimes ... Muscovite. Mostly the crystals are white ... rounded, colorless sharp edged crystals are very rare. Often the crystals have holes and nicks (inkepingen, einschnitten). Sometimes other crystals, like Rutile and Pseudobrookite, are covered with one or more Sodalite crystals.
Sodalite ... or ... Nosean ....could be tricky !! Sometimes impossible to determine on sight.

Bulkemstraat 22 6369 XW Simpelveld The Netherlands

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