Toturite

Where it forms, where it's found

Geological setting: High-temperature altered carbonate-silicate xenoliths in ignimbrite.
Type locality: Xenolith no. 3
Lakargi Mountain
Upper Chegem volcanic caldera (Verkhnechegemskaya caldera)
Chegemsky District
Kabardino-Balkaria
Russia

1recorded occurrences

Source · OpenStreetMap

Optical

Optical type: Isotropic

Isotropy testPPL ↔ XPL diagnostic

PPL intrinsic colour; no change on stage rotation

XPL extinct at every orientation

Crystallography

Crystal system: Isometric
Space group: #225
Cell parameters: a = 12.55(3) Å
Type-locality form: Thin regular growth zones and irregular spots in kerimasite.

Chemical composition

Constituent elements: Mass composition breakdown
Element Atoms At. mass g/mol Mass g/mol Mass share
50SnTin Tin 2 118.710 237.420
34.44%
8OOxygen Oxygen 12 15.999 191.988
27.85%
20CaCalcium Calcium 3 40.078 120.234
17.44%
26FeIron Iron 2 55.845 111.690
16.20%
14SiSilicon Silicon 1 28.085 28.085
4.07%
Total 689.417 100.00%
Mass share = atoms × atomic mass ÷ molar mass × 100
From IMA formula

Mass composition breakdown
Element	Atoms	At. mass g/mol	Mass g/mol	Mass share
50SnTin	Tin	2	118.710	237.420	34.44%
8OOxygen	Oxygen	12	15.999	191.988	27.85%
20CaCalcium	Calcium	3	40.078	120.234	17.44%
26FeIron	Iron	2	55.845	111.690	16.20%
14SiSilicon	Silicon	1	28.085	28.085	4.07%
	Total	689.417	100.00%

Synonyms

IMA2009-033
Toturiet

In other languages

German: IMA 2009-033 · Toturit
Spanish: Toturita
Italian: toturite

Classification

Strunz

10th ed.

9.AD.25

9SilicatesClass
9.ANesosilicatesDivision
9.ADNesosilicates without additional anions; cations in [6] and/or greater coordinationGroup
9.AD.25ToturiteSpecies

Group, growth & confusion

5 members

Literature, links & citation

Citations

2010Galuskina, I. O., Galuskin, E. V., Dzierzanowski, P., Gazeev, V. M., Prusik, K., Pertsev, N. N., Winiarski, A., Zadov, A. E., Wrzalik, R. (2010) Toturite Ca₃Sn₂Fe₂SiO₁₂ — A new mineral species of the garnet group. American Mineralogist, 95 (8) 1305-1311 doi:10.2138/am.2010.3421 DOI: 10.2138/am.2010.3421
2021(2021) Toturite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Cite this entry

@misc{mineral2026,
  author    = {Mineral Index editorial board},
  title     = {Toturite — Mineral Index},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://mineralindex.org/minerals/toturite-39570},
  note      = {Accessed 2026-05-11}
}