Arfvedsonite with Aegirine

specimen number:
2133124

location:
Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia

description:
Lustrous black prismatic crystals of arfvedsonite on matrix with aegirine. Ex Jack Nieberger collection with several labels as shown at the end of the video.

The Khibiny Massif on the Kola Peninsula in Russia is a large alkaline igneous complex that has been studied and mined since the early 20th century. The area became an important source of apatite for fertilizer production, with major mining operations beginning in the 1920s. In addition to its economic importance, the massif is world famous for its exceptional mineral diversity, with hundreds of rare species discovered there. Many minerals occur in nepheline syenite and related rocks, often forming well crystallized specimens in cavities and pegmatitic zones. The Khibiny Massif remains one of the most significant mineralogical localities in the world for both research and collecting.

Arfvedsonite is a sodium rich amphibole mineral that typically occurs in alkaline igneous rocks such as nepheline syenite and granite. It forms as dark green to black prismatic crystals or fibrous aggregates and is often associated with minerals such as aegirine, feldspar, and quartz. The mineral was first described from Greenland and is named after the Swedish chemist Johan August Arfwedson.

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