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<article article-type="research-article">
<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id journal-id-type="archive">gsminmag</journal-id>
<journal-title>Mineralogical Magazine</journal-title>
<abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="full">Mineralogical Magazine</abbrev-journal-title>
<issn pub-type="ppub">0026-461X</issn>
<publisher>
<publisher-name>Mineralogical Society</publisher-name>
</publisher>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1180/minmag.1979.043.328.02</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title>Vigezzite, (Ca,Ce)(Nb,Ta,Ti)<sub>2</sub>O<sub>6</sub>, a New Aeschynite-Type Mineral from the Alps</article-title>
</title-group>
<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Graeser</surname>
<given-names>S.</given-names>
</name></contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Schwander</surname>
<given-names>H.</given-names>
</name></contrib>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>H&#x00E4;nni</surname>
<given-names>H.</given-names>
</name></contrib>
<aff>Mineralogical Institute, University, CH-4056 Basle</aff></contrib-group>
<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author">
<name>
<surname>Mattioli</surname>
<given-names>V.</given-names>
</name>
<aff>Via Keplero 5, I-20124 Milano, Italy</aff></contrib></contrib-group>
<pub-date pub-type="ppub">
<month>12</month>
<year>1979</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>43</volume>
<issue>328</issue>
<fpage>459</fpage>
<lpage>462</lpage>
<history>
<date date-type="received">
<day>14</day>
<month>5</month>
<year>1979</year>
</date>
<date date-type="rev-recd">
<day>25</day>
<month>6</month>
<year>1979</year>
</date></history>
<copyright-statement>Copyright &#x00A9; 1979, The Mineralogical Society</copyright-statement>
<copyright-year>1979</copyright-year>
<abstract>
<title>Summary</title>
<p>A new mineral species, vigezzite (Ca,Ce) (Nb,Ta,Ti)<sub>2</sub>O<sub>6</sub>, was found near Orcesco, Valle Vigezzo, Prov. Novara, Northern Italy. It forms fiat prismatic crystals up to 2&#x2013;3 mm length of an orange-yellow colour. The crystals are elongated along the <italic>a</italic>-axis and flattened on (OIO). Cleavage at right angles to the prism axis is distinct, fracture conchoidal. Vickers hardness VHN = 396 kp/mm<sup>2</sup>, corresponding to 4 <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mrow>
<mml:mstyle scriptlevel='+1'>
<mml:mfrac>
<mml:mn>1</mml:mn>
<mml:mn>2</mml:mn>
</mml:mfrac>
</mml:mstyle>
</mml:mrow>
</mml:math></inline-formula>-5 in the Mohs scale. Refraction indices are high: &#x03B1; = 2.14, &#x03B3; = 2.315 (NaD, 589 &#x00B5;m), birefringence is 0.175. Optic angle 2V&#x03B3; is large. Though intensively yellow coloured, the mineral shows no pleochroism. &#x03B1; = <italic>c</italic>, &#x03B2; = <italic>b</italic>, &#x03B3; = <italic>a</italic>; optic axial plane is parallel to (OIO).</p>
<p>Vigezzite is orthorhombie with space group <italic>Pmnb</italic> or <italic>P</italic>2<sub>1</sub><italic>nb</italic>; <italic>a</italic> = 7.559&#x00B1;0.01, <italic>b</italic> = 11.02<sub>8</sub>&#x00B1;0.01, <italic>c</italic> = 5.36<sub>0</sub>&#x00B1; 0.004 &#x00C5;, Z = 4. The six strongest lines of the X-ray powder pattern are 4.821 (9) (011), 3.784 (8) (200), 3.036 (10) (031), 2.974 (10) (211), 1.7129 (6) (242), 1.6018 (7) (431).</p>
<p>Electron microprobe analyses lead to the empirical formula (Ca<sub>0.82</sub>Ce<sub>0.24</sub>)<sub>&#x03A3;1.06</sub>(Nb<sub>0.9</sub>Ta<sub>0.62</sub>Ti<sub>0.5</sub>)<sub>&#x03A3;2.02</sub>O<sub>6</sub>. The mineral is not completely homogenous, the ratio Nb/(Nb+Ta) varies from 0.55&#x2013;0.62. Rynersonite Ca (Ta,Nb)<sub>2</sub>O<sub>6</sub>, may represent the Ta-dominant equivalent of vigezzite. Vigezzite occurs together with several other Nb-minerals such as pyrochlore, columbite and fersmite, whose crystallographical and chemical data are reported, in an albitic rock of presumably pegmatitic origin.</p></abstract>
</article-meta>
</front>
</article>
