Mineral · Feldspar group
Albite
Na(AlSi3O8)
Albite is the sodium plagioclase feldspar, white to colourless, forming the platy 'cleavelandite' that carpets pegmatite pockets under tourmaline and beryl in Brazil, Pakistan and California and the sharp crystals of Alpine clefts. It is more often the matrix than the specimen, but Pakistani albite crystals on quartz are collected in their own right. Fine striations on cleavage faces mark plagioclase.
| Formula | Na(AlSi3O8) |
|---|---|
| IMA status | grandfathered |
| Crystal system | Triclinic |
| Mohs hardness | 6–6.5 |
| Group | Feldspar group |
| Type locality | None |
| Streak | White |
| Specific gravity | 2.62 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Albite" (Mineral). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/minerals/albite. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-albite,
title = {Albite},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/minerals/albite}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.