Albite stone belongs to silicate group feldspars and is\nconsidered one of the most widespread igneous minerals (pegmatites) of the\nrock-forming type. This mineral is an aluminosilicate and belongs to the\nplagioclase subgroup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mineral owes its name to its color – in Latin albus\nmeans white. The stone was first described in 1815 in Sweden by scientists\nJohann Gottlieb Hahn and Jon Jakob Berzelius. At the end of the 19th century,\nthe Russian geologist and geochemist Alexander Fersman, who carried out detailed\nstudies of this mineral, drew attention to albite, the properties of which had\nbeen little studied. On the coast of the White Sea, he found an interesting\nvariety of this stone, which has iridescence from gray-blue to blue-violet, and\nnamed it belomorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another famous variety of this stone is peristerite, which\nis named so for its unique iridescence of bluish-blue color, similar to the ebb\nof pigeon feathers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Albit has synonyms – white feldspar, white sherl, albiclase\nor amazonite-plakio-eyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chemical formula of albite is Na [AlSi3O8]. Often the\ncomposition includes impurities of chromium, lead, potassium, calcium and\nmagnesium, due to which the color spectrum of the crystal can vary from white\nto blue, green and even yellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mineral is hardly soluble in acids – only hydrofluoric\nacid can successfully dissolve it. It also melts weakly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like other minerals from the plagioclase subgroup, the stone\nis widespread throughout the globe, but at the same time it is practically not\nfound in its pure form. In fact, the entire group of plakio-eyed minerals is a\nmixture of albite and anorite. Therefore, in 95% of cases, albite occurs as\ninclusions or inclusions in other minerals. By the way, it is thanks to the\nthinnest albite ingrowths that the iridescence effect appears in the adularia.\nThe photo shows an example of the location of albite as an accompanying mineral\nin the parent rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As mentioned above, albite belongs to rock-forming minerals\nand is distributed almost everywhere. Deposits are distinguished depending on\nthe purpose for which this mineral is mined. Since its value in terms of\njewelry is rather low, most of the production is carried out for the ceramic\nindustry. Albite is also used to create refractory and finishing materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beautiful transparent crystals, which are suitable for\ncutting and are used in jewelry production and creation of collections, are not\nmined everywhere. There are a number of deposits in Africa: Zimbabwe, Kenya,\nMadagascar, but here production is carried out in an almost artisanal way – as\nelsewhere on the Black Continent. In America, large mines are located in Georgia,\nPennsylvania and Virginia (USA), as well as near Ottawa (Canada). In Russia,\nthe mineral albite is mined in the Irkutsk region, not far from Nizhny Tagil,\nin the Western Keivy (Kola Peninsula), in the southern Transbaikalia in the\narea of \u200b\u200bthe Malkhansky ridge. In the north of Norway and the Eastern Pamirs,\nlarge stones with the iridescent effect are mined, and in Bintal (Switzerland)\nand the Brazilian Minas Gerais – almost pure crystals of a very large form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Massifs weighing at least 5-10 carats are subject to\nfaceting. The most common and practically the only type of cut is the cabochon.\nCut stones are used in the manufacture of bijouterie (bracelets and beads), as\njewelry and finishing materials. A significant part of the cut stones is\nintended for collectors. The latter also prefer natural druses, in which albite\ncrystals form unique structures with other minerals such as hematite, quartz or\northoclase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The price for albite differs depending on whether it is a\nraw material or a cut stone. If we take massifs where crystals are generously\ndiluted with other minerals, then the cost of 1 kg does not exceed an average\nof $ 2-8. But cut stones are valued much higher – a transparent crystal\nweighing 3-5 carats will cost $ 10-15 – this is due to the fact that such large\nstones are relatively rare. But sometimes very large specimens are also found –\nin Ukraine, a pure tabular crystal of albite was found with a height of almost\n20 cm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although the stone is not considered precious or\nsemi-precious, it is used in folk medicine. The medicinal properties of albite\nare considered lower than those of precious “pure” stones, but,\nnevertheless, it is used for diseases of the organs of internal secretion and\nthe gastric tract: liver, kidneys, spleen, pancreas and stomach. Unlike other\nstones, it does not need to be worn all the time to achieve a healing effect –\nyou just need to apply the stone to the organ that is bothering you and lie\ndown for a while. In general, it is recommended to carry out such a procedure\nin a horizontal, relaxed position, and best of all – during rest or an hour’s\nsleep. To use the stone again, it is recommended after the procedure to put it\nunder running cold water for a few minutes – this way everything bad will come\nout of the stone,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among practising magicians, albite is considered a conductor of solar and lunar energy, therefore it is widely used as a means to relieve stress, nervousness and tension. Those people who react very sharply to emotional or any external stimuli should carry an amulet with this stone, or better with two – the talisman will give the necessary patience and extinguish negative emotions in the bud. Also, the stone is suitable for travellers in order to ward off danger from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The stone belongs to the water element, and the magical\nproperties of albite are associated with the lunar cycle of ebb and flow,\nsymbolizing the infinity of life. Albite can be used to normalize your emotional\nstate and achieve harmony and balance in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n