Wiluite

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title: "Wiluite" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["sorosilicates", "tetragonal-minerals", "minerals-in-space-group-126"] topic_path: "general/sorosilicates" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiluite" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox mineral"]

Field	Value
name	Wiluite
image	Wiluite-rh3-48b.jpg
imagesize	260
caption	Wiluite crystal from the Wilui River, Siberia
category	Sorosilicates
formula
IMAsymbol	Wil
strunz	9.BG.35
system	Tetragonal
class	Ditetragonal dipyramidal (4/mmm)
H-M symbol: (4/m 2/m 2/m)
symmetry	P4/nnc
unit cell	a = 15.716, c = 11.704 [Å]; Z = 2
color	Dark green
habit	Typically as euhedral crystals
cleavage	{100} poor
fracture	Irregular
mohs	6
luster	Vitreous
gravity	3.36
opticalprop	Uniaxial (+)
refractive	nω = 1.721 nε = 1.725
birefringence	δ = 0.004
references
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| name = Wiluite | boxwidth = | boxbgcolor = | image = Wiluite-rh3-48b.jpg | imagesize = 260 | alt = | caption = Wiluite crystal from the Wilui River, Siberia | category = Sorosilicates | formula = | IMAsymbol = Wil | molweight = | strunz = 9.BG.35 | system = Tetragonal | class = Ditetragonal dipyramidal (4/mmm) H-M symbol: (4/m 2/m 2/m) | symmetry = P4/nnc | unit cell = a = 15.716, c = 11.704 [Å]; Z = 2 | color = Dark green | colour = | habit = Typically as euhedral crystals | twinning = | cleavage = {100} poor | fracture = Irregular | tenacity = | mohs = 6 | luster = Vitreous | streak = | diaphaneity = | gravity = 3.36 | density = | polish = | opticalprop = Uniaxial (+) | refractive = nω = 1.721 nε = 1.725 | birefringence = δ = 0.004 | pleochroism = | 2V = | dispersion = | extinction = | length fast/slow = | fluorescence = | absorption = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | impurities = | alteration = | other = | prop1 = | prop1text = | references =

Wiluite is a dark green, brownish, or black blocky silicate mineral with the chemical formula . It has a Mohs hardness of 6 and a specific gravity of 3.36. It has a vitreous lustre, poor cleavage and an irregular brittle fracture. It crystallizes in the tetragonal system and occurs as well-formed crystals with good external form. It is isostructural with the vesuvianite group and is associated with wollastonite and olive-green grossulars (viluites) in a serpentinized skarn.

The minerals that wiluite and viluite refer to have often been confused, and may refer to grossular, or wiluite. It was discovered in the 1990s and named for the Wilui River region, Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia.

Viluite was introduced as a mineral name twice. Von Leonhard used it for a mineral that was considered the same as vesuvianite. However, that material was recently shown to be rich in boron and thus different from vesuvianite. In 1998 that material was named Wiluite. The other author to introduce viluite was Severgin, who used it in reference to what is widely known as grossular, a member of the garnet group.

References

References

1. Warr, L.N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine.
2. [http://webmineral.com/data/Wiluite.shtml Webmineral data]
3. [http://www.mindat.org/min-7367.html Mindat with location data]
4. [http://www.mindat.org/min-5508.html Viluite] Mindat database
5. [http://www.mindat.org/min-5510.html Wiluite (of Severgin)] Mindat database
6. [http://www.mindat.org/min-7367.html Wiluite] Mindat database
7. [http://www.gemmology.org/pierresnaturelles/wen.html W - Wiluite] World of Gemstones dictionary, accessed online January 25, 2007
8. [http://www.gemmology.org/pierresnaturelles/ven.html V - Viluite] World of Gemstones dictionary, accessed online January 25, 2007
9. de Fourestier, Jeffrey; ''Glossary of Mineral Synonyms,'' Canadian Mineralogist Special Publication 2, Mineralogical Association of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 1999, 445 pp. {{ISBN. 0921294441

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