Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 20, 2026

Ancylite

Ancylite is a group of hydrous strontium carbonate minerals containing cerium, lanthanum and minor amounts of other rare-earth elements. The chemical formula is Sr(Ce,La)(CO3)2(OH)·H2O with ancylite-Ce enriched in cerium and ancylite-La in lanthanum.

Last revised
Jun 20, 2026
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Ancylite
Nenadkevichite with ancylite crystals on the side
General
CategoryCarbonate mineral
FormulaSr(Ce,La)(CO3)2(OH)·H2O
IMA symbolAnc1
Strunz classification5.DC.05
Dana classification16b.1.1.1
Crystal systemOrthorhombic
Crystal classDipyramidal (mmm)
H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
Space groupPmcn
Identification
ColorLight yellow, orange-yellow, yellow-brown, grey
CleavageNone
FractureSplintery
TenacityBrittle
Mohs scale hardness4–4.5
LusterDull
StreakWhite
DiaphaneityTranslucent
Density3.95 g/cm3

Ancylite is a group of hydrous strontium carbonate minerals containing cerium, lanthanum and minor amounts of other rare-earth elements. The chemical formula is Sr(Ce,La)(CO3)2(OH)·H2O with ancylite-Ce enriched in cerium and ancylite-La in lanthanum.23

Ancylite was first described in 1899 for an occurrence in the Narsarsuk pegmatite in west Greenland and named from the Ancient Greek: ἀγκύλος for curved in reference to its rounded or distorted crystal form.24

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