Vestaite

(Ti4+Fe2+)Ti4+3O9
IMA status
  • Approved
IMA symbol
Vst
IMA approved
2017
Also known as
  • IMA2017-068
  • Vestaiet

Where it forms, where it's found

Geological setting

In shock melt pockets of eucrite meteorite

Type locality
NWA 8003 meteorite
  1. Morocco

Crystallography

Crystal system
Monoclinic
Space group
C2/c
Cell parameters
a = 17.03(2) Å · b = 4.98(1) Å · c = 7.08(1) Å
Cell angles
β = 106.3(2) °
Ratio a:b:c
1 : 0.292 : 0.416
Type-locality form

Euhedral to subhedral crystals, ~0.2–0.5 µm in width and up to ~2.5 µm in length with normally columnar to platy habit.

Chemical composition

Constituent elements
Mass composition breakdown
ElementAtoms At. mass g/mol Mass g/molMass share
22TiTitaniumTitanium447.867191.468
48.93%
8OOxygenOxygen915.999143.991
36.80%
26FeIronIron155.84555.845
14.27%
Total391.304100.00%

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

From IMA formula

Synonyms

  • IMA2017-068
  • Vestaiet

In other languages

German
IMA 2017-068 · Vestait

Classification

Strunz
10th ed.

4.CB.35

  • 4OxidesClass
  • 4.CMetal: Oxygen = 2: 3,3: 5, and similarDivision
  • 4.CBWith medium-sized cationsGroup
  • 4.CB.35VestaiteSpecies

Literature, links & citation

Citations
  1. 2017Hålenius, U., Hatert, F., Pasero, M., Mills, S. J. (2017) New minerals and nomenclature modifications approved in 2017, CNMNC Newsletter No 40. Mineralogical Magazine, 81 (6) 1577-1581 doi:10.1180/minmag.2017.081.096DOI: 10.1180/minmag.2017.081.096
  2. 2018Pang, R.-L., Harries, D., Pollok, K., Zhang, Ai-C., Langenhorst, F. (2018): Vestaite, (Ti4+Fe2+)Ti34+O9, a new mineral in the shocked eucrite Northwest Africa 8003. American Mineralogist: 103:, 1502–1511.
  3. 2020(2020) Vestaite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America
Cite this entry
@misc{mineral2026,
  author    = {Mineral Index editorial board},
  title     = {Vestaite — Mineral Index},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://mineralindex.org/minerals/vestaite-52576},
  note      = {Accessed 2026-05-11}
}