Törnebohmite-(La)

La2Al(SiO4)2(OH)
IMA status
  • Approved
IMA symbol
Tbh-La
Also known as
  • Törnebohmiet-(La)

Where it forms, where it's found

Type locality
Mochalin Log
  1. Kyshtym
  2. Chelyabinsk Oblast
  3. Russia

55.8117°, 60.5628°

3recorded occurrences
Source · OpenStreetMap

Physical

Hardness
123456789104.5/ 10 MOHS
  1. 1Talc
  2. 2Gypsum
  3. 3Calcite
  4. 4Fluorite
  5. 5Apatite
  6. 6Orthoclase
  7. 7Quartz
  8. 8Topaz
  9. 9Corundum
  10. 10Diamond
Transparency
Translucent
Colour
Green · olive-green
Fracture
Irregular/Uneven
Density
4.805 g/cm³

Optical

Optical type
Biaxial (+)
Refractive index
1.808 – 1.838
Surface relief
Very high
Principal indices
nα 1.808 · nβ 1.812 · nγ 1.838
Pleochroism
Strong

X = strong bluish green; Y = yellow-green; Z = pinkish.

Dispersion
relatively strong
Michel-Lévy diagramhighlighted lineδ = 0.0300
Attainable Michel-Lévy rangeΔ ∈ [0, t·δmax]300 nm1st order
Δ = 0Δmax
Thin-section mosaic70 grains · random 3D orientations
PPLpleochroism per grain
XPLindependent extinctions · rotate the stage
Interference simulatorsingle grain · PPL ↔ XPL
PPLpleochroism only · colour blends on rotation
XPLinterference colour · extinct every 90°
Retardation300 nm
Order1st order
XPL colour

Crystallography

Cell parameters
a = 7.74 Å · c = 8.5 Å
Type-locality form

Rare crystals in fissures; more commonly as grains, to 3 mm, or veins in cerite; in concentrically zoned aggregates around cerite and bastnaesite.

Comment

: [Monoclinic, pseudohexagonal] [by analogy to törnebohmite-(Ce)]

Chemical composition

Constituent elements
Mass composition breakdown
ElementAtoms At. mass g/mol Mass g/molMass share
57LaLanthanumLanthanum2138.905277.810
54.91%
8OOxygenOxygen915.999143.991
28.46%
14SiSiliconSilicon228.08556.170
11.10%
13AlAluminiumAluminium126.98226.982
5.33%
1HHydrogenHydrogen11.0081.008
0.20%
Total505.961100.00%

Mass share = atoms × atomic mass ÷ molar mass × 100

From IMA formula

Synonyms

  • Törnebohmiet-(La)

In other languages

German
Törnebohmit-(La)
Italian
Törnebohmite- · Törnebohmite-(La)

Classification

Strunz
10th ed.

9.AG.45

  • 9SilicatesClass
  • 9.ANesosilicatesDivision
  • 9.AGNesosilicates with additional anions; cations in > [6] +- [6] coordinationGroup
  • 9.AG.45Törnebohmite-(La)Species
Dana
8th ed.

52.04.05.02

  • 52Nesosilicates Insular Sio4 Groups and O, Oh, F, H2oClass
  • 52.04Insular SiO4 Groups and O, OH, F, and H2O with cations in [6] and/or >[6] coordinationType
  • 52.04.05Tornebohmite groupGroup
  • 52.04.05.02Törnebohmite-(La)Species
CIM

16.13.3

  • 16Silicates Containing Aluminum and other MetalsClass
  • 16.13Aluminosilicates of the rare earthsGroup
  • 16.13.3Törnebohmite-(La)Species

Literature, links & citation

Citations
  1. 1920Geijer, P. (1920) The cerium minerals of Bastnäs at Riddarhyttan. Sveriges Geologiska Undersökning Arsbok: 14(304): 1-24.
  2. 1921Wherry, E.T. (1921) New minerals. American Mineralogist: 6: 118-119.
  3. 1921Mineralogical Magazine (1921): 19: 351.
  4. 1962Sviajin, N.V. (1962) Tornebohmite from the alkaline province of Ural. Zapiski Vsesoyuznogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva: 91: 97-99.
  5. 1966Levinson, A. A. (1966) A system of nomenclature for rare-earth minerals. American Mineralogist, 51 (1-2) 152-158
Cite this entry
@misc{mineral2026,
  author    = {Mineral Index editorial board},
  title     = {Törnebohmite-(La) — Mineral Index},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://mineralindex.org/minerals/tornebohmite-la-3999},
  note      = {Accessed 2026-05-11}
}