Mineral Name Nepheline
First Discovered 1801
Nickel-Strunz Classification 09.FA.05
Dana Classification 76.02.01.02
ICSD 2937
Mineral Group Silicates - Tektosilicates in the feldspar group


Elaeolite is a variety of the mineral nepheline. For information about nepheline please click the article tab at the top of the page, or click -here-.


Elaeolite comes from the Greek word for oil 'ελαιον' due to its greasy lustre. The name was introduced by Karsten and Klaproth (1809) for a mineral from the the syenite-pegmatite-dykes at Friedrichswärn Norway, later shown to be identical with nepheline. However the name was used as a varietal of nepheline during the 19th century.


Elaeolite has only been found in one place in the world. The map below shows major documented concentration of elaeolite:


Geographical Data Mindat.org. Retrieved on 2013-04-15
History Raade, G. (1996): Minerals originally described from Norway. Including notes on type material. Norsk Bergverksmuseum Skrift. 11, 104 pp. + plates 1-7.
July 08, 2014 The last time this page was updated
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