Latrappite

specimen number:
2133016

location:
Oka Carbonatite, Quebec, Canada

description:
Lustrous black crystals measuring to 0.2 cm in size throughout matrix. Latrappite is a rare calcium niobium oxide mineral that occurs in carbonatite and alkaline igneous complexes rich in niobium and other rare elements. It was first described from the Oka carbonatite complex in Quebec, Canada and was named after the nearby La Trappe locality. The mineral typically appears as small dark brown to black crystals or grains embedded in carbonatite rock. Latrappite is commonly associated with other niobium bearing minerals such as pyrochlore and perovskite, and it is of interest mainly to mineralogists studying rare element mineralization in carbonatite environments. At one time this was part of the collection of Mike Groben.

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