Description
Nuumite is a rare metamorphic rock composed of the amphibole minerals gedrite and anthophyllite. It is named after the area of Nuuk in Greenland, where it is found. Nuumite is usually black and opaque. It consists of two amphiboles, gedrite and anthophyllite, which form exsolution lamellae that give the rock its characteristic iridescence. Other common minerals in the rock are pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite, which form shimmering yellow bands in polished specimens. Known as the oldest mineral on earth, it is also known as a true magician's stone. It stimulates transformation, leading you to success if you listen to your intuition and act upon it. It has the power to "turn your world upside down" and put it into perspective.
The mineral astrophyllite is a potassium-sodium-iron-manganese-titanium silicate with the chemical formula K2Na(Fe2+,Mn)7Ti2Si8O26(OH)4. It belongs to the inosilicate family. Golden-yellow, bronze-yellow, or brown to brownish-red astrophyllite has a diamond-like to pearlescent luster, a yellow-brown streak color, and perfect cleavage along the [001] crystal plane. Its average density is 3.34 and its hardness is 3 to 3.5. The crystal system is triclinic, and the mineral's radioactivity is barely measurable. Its gamma ray value, according to the American Petroleum Institute, is 85.21. The name of the mineral astrophyllite is derived from the Greek words astro ("star") and phylon ("leaf"). The mineral astrophyllite occurs primarily in zirconium-bearing syenites. The type locality is the Langesundfjord, near Brevik, Norway.
