SAMMETBLEXDE. 



occurs in flattened and somewhat polygonal 

 grains. Colour externally dull iron-black. 

 Opaque even at the edges. Streak dark 

 reddish- or clove - brown. Very brittle. 

 Fracture subconchoidal, exhibiting a velvet- 

 black colour, and a splendent vitreous lustre 

 like Obsidian. H. o-o. S.G. 5-614 to 5-746. 

 Comp. A mixture of niobic and scheelic 

 acids (H. Rose). 



Analysis, from Siberia, by Peretz : 

 Metallic acid . . . 55-91 

 Peroxide of uranium . . 16'77 

 Yttria .... 8-36 



Protoxide of iron . . 15'94 



Protoxide of manganese and 



lime . . . .1-88 



Magnesia .... 0-75 



99-61 



BB decrepitates and loses density when 

 heated; exhibiting vivid incandescence, and 

 is afterwards perfectly insoluble in muriatic 

 acid. 



When pulverised, readily and completely 

 decomposed by boiling concentrated muriatic 

 acid, forming a greyish and gelatinous mass, 

 which yields with cold water an opalescent 

 solution. 



Localities. The Ilmen mountains, near 

 Miask, in the Ural, in pieces not larger 

 than a hazel-nut, imbedded in reddish-brown 

 Felspar Rutherford co., Xorth Carolina, 

 in auriferous gravel. 



Name. After the Russian officer of mines. 

 Von Samarski. 



Brit. Mus., Case 49. 



The metallic acid in Samarskite consists 

 almost wholly of niobic acid, with small 

 quantities of tungstic and pelopic acids : 

 hence niobic acid may be obtained from it 

 in a state of greater purity than from the 

 Columbites of Bodenmais and North America. 

 The large quantity of magnesia found in 

 the Siberian Columbite distinguishes it from 

 all other tantalites. (L. Gmelin.) See also 

 Yttro-Ilmenite. 



Sa:mmetblende. A capillary variety of 

 Gothite, found in veins at Przibram in 

 Bohemia, at Hiittenberg in Carinthia, and 

 near Ulefoss in NorAvay. 



Samoite. a mineral occuring in thin and 

 broad colourless tables, with a glassy lustre, 

 thickly disseminated through a dark co- 

 loured, cellular, porphyritic basalt, on Upolu, 

 one of the Samoan, or Navigator Islands. 

 fl. 5-5 to 6. S.G. 2-8 to 2-85. 



Comp. 2 (Ca, Mg, Na) Si + (Al, Fe) bi. 

 Analysis, by Silliman, Jr. : 

 Silica 53-79 



SAPHLRINE. 





Alumina 





. 18 79 



Peroxide of iron . 





. 4-23 



Magnesia 





. 8-87 



Lime . 





. 9-86 



Soda . 





. 3-11 



Water and loss . 





. 1-35 



100-00 



Saxdaraca, PIi7iy, Straho. Sa>"darach, 

 1avla,^o(.y,y,^ Theophrustus. See Realgar. 

 Probably the name may be a corruption of 

 the Arabic, Zaruich-Ahmer. 



Sandastros. a kind of Aventurine, 

 described by Jean de Saet, of a rufous red 

 colour, and containing in the interior small 

 brilliant grains. The Sandastrum of Pliny 

 is a gem now wholly lost. 



S.AJN'iDiNE. A name for Glassy Felspar 

 (from trxu;, a hoard), on account of the 

 tabular form of the crystals. 



Saphir. French for Sapphire. 



Saphir Asterie. See Asteria. 



Saphir d'Eau. A name given by 

 jewellers to a transparent variety of lolite, 

 of an intense blue colour, found in small 

 rolled masses in Ceylon. Sometimes they 

 are of a clear white, mingled with celestial 

 blue, forming a mixed colour. This stone 

 should be cut in the form of a brilliant. 



Saphir pe Chat, or Cat Sapphire. A 

 name applied to Star Sapphire by French 

 lapidaries. See Asteria. 



Saphir de Fra^xe, or Saphir de Puy- 

 en-Velai. Names given to water-worn 

 pebbles of Rock Crystal, of a beautiful blue 

 colour, which are found, in France, in the 

 stream Rioupezzouliou, near Expailly in 

 Auvergne. They may be easily distin- 

 guisiied from true Sapphire by their greatly 

 inferior hardness. S.G. 2-58. 



Saphir du Bresil. Greenish-blue Tour- 

 maline. 



Saphir Etoile. Star Sapphire. See 

 Asteria. 



Saphir Femelle. The name given by 

 French lapidaries to clear blue Sapphire, 

 the colour of which is so faint that it might 

 almost be considered a limpid Sapphire, 

 slightly tinged with blue. See Ge3I. 



Saphir Male. The name applied bj'' 

 French lapidaries to indigo-blue Sapphire. 

 The tint of this stone is of a very agreeable 

 kind, being neither too pale nor too dark. 



Saphir Occidental. See Saphir d'Eau. 



Saphir Plojibe. A name by which 

 bluish- green varieties of Sapphire are known 

 to French jewellers. 



Saphirixe, Phillips, Gisecke, Levy. A 

 variety of Spinel, occurring disseminated la 



