Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 3, 2026

Tienshanite

Tienshanite, named for the Tian Shan Range in Mongolia, is a rare borosilicate mineral, though rock-forming in some parts of its original locality at the Dara-i-Pioz Glacier in Tajikistan. Its formula is extremely complex: KNa3(Na,K,[])6(Ca,Y,RE)2Ba6(Mn2+,Fe2+,Zn,Ti)6(Ti,Nb)6Si36B12O114[O5.5(OH,F)3.5]F2.

Last revised
Aug 3, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
109 w
Citations
7
Source
Tienshanite
General
CategoryCyclosilicate
FormulaKNa3(Na,K,[])6(Ca,Y,RE)2Ba6(Mn2+,Fe2+,Zn,Ti)6(Ti,Nb)6Si36B12O114[O5.5(OH,F)3.5]F2
IMA symbolTsh1
Strunz classification9.CL.05
Crystal systemHexagonal
Crystal classDipyramidal (6/m)
H-M symbol: (6/m)
Space groupHexagonal
Space group: P6/m
Identification
Colorolive-green
Mohs scale hardness6 – 6+12
Lustervitreous
References23

Tienshanite, named for the Tian Shan Range in Mongolia, is a rare borosilicate mineral, though rock-forming in some parts of its original locality at the Dara-i-Pioz Glacier in Tajikistan.234 Its formula is extremely complex: KNa3(Na,K,[])6(Ca,Y,RE)2Ba6(Mn2+,Fe2+,Zn,Ti)6(Ti,Nb)6Si36B12O114[O5.5(OH,F)3.5]F2.5

References

References

  1. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. Mindat.org – Tienshanite
  3. Webmineral.com – Tienshanite
  4. Handbook of Mineralogy – Tienshanite
  5. Cooper M. A., Hawthorne F. C. and Grew E. S. 1998: Refinement of the crystal structure of tienshanite: short-range-order constrains on chemical composition. The Canadian Mineralogist, 36, pp. 1305–1310