Mineral description : Thorite

Thorite from the Saga quarry, Norway.

Mineral class	Silicates : Nesosilicates : Zircon titanite group
Chemical formula	Th(SiO4)
Crystal system	Tetragonal.
Habitus	Short prismatic tetragonal crystals. Also as grains and embedded masses.
Cleavage	Poorly in two directions, fracture conchoidal.
Hardness	4 - 4.5
Density	4.1 - 7
Color	Brown to almost black, opaque.
Streak	Light brown to orange.
Luster	Resinous.
Description	The most common mineral of thorium and a minor ore of thorium and uranium.
Occurance	In pegmatites.
Associates
Notes	A strongly radioactive mineral, Almost always metamict.
Locations	A not so common mineral in pegmatites Björkö, Västervik, Småland. Up to cm sized crystals in feldspar - mica veins in a quartsite. Routavaara, Jokkmokk. Saga, Tvedalen, Norway.

To silicate index.

Mineral group index.

Main index.

If you have some questions, suggestions or comments you are welcome to write me a line or two.