Description
The mineral pezzottaite is a cesium-beryllium-lithium-aluminum silicate with the chemical formula Cs(Be2Li)Al2Si6O18. This cyclosilicate belongs to the beryl group. The transparent to translucent pink or raspberry-red pezzottaite has a vitreous luster, a white streak color, and imperfect cleavage along the [001] crystal plane. Pezzottaite has an average density of 2.97 and a hardness of 8. The crystal system is trigonal, and the mineral's radioactivity is barely measurable. Its gamma ray value, according to the American Petroleum Institute, is 212.96. The mineral pezzottaite is named after the Italian mineralogist Federico Pezzotta, due to his extensive research on the pegmatites of Madagascar. Like other cesium-, beryllium-, and lithium-bearing minerals, pezzottaite is a mineral found primarily in granitic pegmatites. The type locality is the Sakavalana pegmatite, near Mandosonoro, Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar.
Pezzottaite
