Agrellite

This cleaved long block of the rare silicate Agrellite is from its type locality in the Kipawa alkaline complex within the Les Lacs-du-Témiscamingue region of Québec, Canada.  Agrellite is a sodium-calcium silicate also containing fluorine (as fluoride) and forms an opaque glassy block, 10 cm long, of a bluish grey cream with strongly crystallised foliation parallel to its length.  The mainly smooth texture is interrupted with splinter-like shards where crystal boundaries are cleaved and displays a glassy to silky lustre.  Under LWUV the Agrellite fluoresces ethereal strawberry cream at about 25 cm from the source, and bright bubble-gum pink close to the UV lamp, that latter as shown in the accompanying photograph.  A rare silicate from the Kipawa alkaline complex in Québec.