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Article: Bernardino Rivadavia (1780-1845). (Who's who in mineral names).(Rivadavite)(Biography)
- Article from:
- Rocks & Minerals
- Article date:
- January 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Heldref Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Rivadavite, [Na.sub.6]Mg[B.sub.24][O.sub.40]*22[H.sub.2]O, was first described from the Tinealayu borax deposit, Salar del Hombre Muerto (Salt Pan of the Dead Man), Salta Province, Argentina (Hurlbut and Aristarian 1967), where it occurs as nodular aggregates of bladed monoclinic crystals, to 3 mm in length, embedded in borax. The crystals are colorless, show excellent {100} and {[bar]111} cleavage, and are extremely brittle. The mineral has a hardness of 3.5 and a specific gravity of 1.905. It has also been found in the Furnace Creek district, Inyo County, California.
Rivadavite was named in honor of Bernardino Rivadavia, the first president of Argentina. ...