Hafnon

Hafnon
Very small brown single crystals of hafnon from Bernic Lake, Lac-du-Bonnet District, Manitoba, Canada
General
CategoryNesosilicates
FormulaHfSiO4
IMA symbolHaf
Strunz classification09.AD.30
Dana classification51.05.02.02
Crystal systemTetragonal
Crystal classDitetragonal Dipyramidal (4/mmm )
H-M symbol: (4/m 2/m 2/m)
Space groupI41/amd
Unit cella = 6.5725(7) Å, c = 5.9632(4) Å=; Z = 4
Identification
ColourOrange-red,brownish yellow, rarely colourless
Crystal habitEuhedral to irregular crystals
Cleavage{???} Indistinct
Mohs scale hardness7.5
LusterVitreous
Streakgrey white
DiaphaneityTransparent
Density6.97
Optical propertiesUniaxial (+)
Refractive indexnω = 1.930 - 1.970 nε = 1.980 - 2.030
Birefringenceδ = 0.050
Common impuritiesOften zoned with zircon. Forms part of zircon-hafnon series

Hafnon is a hafnium nesosilicate mineral with the idealized chemical formula HfSiO4. It is the mineral form of Hafnium silicate and one of the few known minerals with essential hafnium.