Allanite-(Y)

{CaY}{Al2Fe2+}(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)
Monoclinic

Allanite-(Y) is a mineral of the allanite group of the epidote

supergroup, together with 16 other approved minerals (July 2015).
Allanite-(Y) is a rare mineral, listed from 22 localities in Mindat. The
main reason for its rarity is that the allanite molecule favors the
light rare earth elements, such as Ce, La and Nd . Although lighter
then the other REEs, Yttrium have many chemical characteristica in
common with the heavy REEs are not easily accomodated in the
allanite structure.

Fleischer (1985) has compared analyses of 506 allanites and 53

REE-bearing epidotes. He finds that the Y content is generally
higher in allanites originating from granite pegmatites than from
other rocks, but the average Y content of 114 allanites from granite
pegmaties was no more than 9.6 atomic % of the total Y+REE
content. Y-dominant allanite is therefore normally confined to
patches, zones or alteration products of other Y-bearing minerals,
such as the allanite-(Y) from Åskagen, Sweden. 

The occurrence at Boden, Germany is special in that allanite-(Y)

forms individual crystals and appears to be the dominant (only) REE
mineral at that locality. It is also very special in that the crystals can
be as large as 2.6 cm. As the quarry in which these crystals were
found was abandoned before 1850, it will be difficult to understand
the mechanisms that allowed them to form. 
Allanite-(Y)
Germany, 
Saxony, Erzgebirge, Marienberg District, Boden

Allanite-(Y), etc.

Boden, Marienberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany

Allanite-(Y)

Boden, Marienberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany

Allanite-(Y) was first described in 1844 as "bodenite" from Boden,

an area where limestone and iron ore were extracted from marbles
and skarns. The mining operations probably started in the 16th
century, and ended in 1838 and 1849 for iron ore and limestone,
respectively. 

The "bodenite" occurred as acicular crystals embedded in

plagioclase feldspar. Breithaupt (1844) describes the crystals as
seemingly black, but brownish to smoke colored in thin splinters,
and up to “1 Linie breitcn und bis 1 Zoll langen Säulen”
(approximately 0.6 by 26 mm needles), resembling allanite. 

Kerndt (1848) provides a chemical analysis, showing the mineral to

be Y-dominant. Analytical techniques and equipment have evolved
tremendously since then, but his results are not bad compared to
modern analyses of allanite-(Y) from other localities. Witzke has
performed XRD and REM-EDX analyses on this material that support
the identification of allanite-(Y). 

Allanite-(Y)
Italy, 
Piedmont, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Baveno, Oltrefiume,
Mount Camoscio, Seula Mine (ex Montecatini Quarry)
Allanite-(Y), etc.

Seula mine, Mount Camoscio, Oltrefiume, Baveno, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy
Allanite-(Y), etc.

Seula mine, Mount Camoscio, Oltrefiume, Baveno, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy

Seula Mine is a quarry in the pink granite of Baveno, which is a

medium-grained granite showing intense, late post-magmatic
alteration due to an abundance of fluids in both pneumatolitic and
hydrothermal stages. Miarolitic cavities occur isolated in the pink
facies of the granite, in pegmatitic veins (where they have irregular
shapes), and in aplitic-pegmatitic dikes. These dikes contain
granophyric portions characterized by several small cavities in the
aplitic units, and large, vertically elongated cavities in the pegmatitic
units. These cavities range from 1 cm up to 2-3 m in diameter. All
the cavities developed as isolated systems and, in some cases, the
largest ones are partially collapsed. 

The paragenesis is typical of NYF pegmatites and developed under

magmatic, pneumatolitic and hydrothermal conditions. Allanite
seems to have crystallized in vugs in pneumatolitic to high-
temperature to medium-temperature hydrothermal conditions.

The presence of Y-dominant allanites in the paragenetic association

of gadolinite-group minerals at Baveno was reported at the
late1990s or early 2000s. Allanite and kainosite-(Y) are the REE
silicates in paragenetic association with gadolinite-group minerals,
and other associated minerals include allanite-(Ce), epidote and
pumpellyite-(Fe2+). The allanite photos above have been visually
identified, and may also be allanite-(Ce). 

Allanite-(Y)
Sweden, 
Värmland, Filipstad, Persberg district, Åskagen Quarry
(Torskebäcken)
Allanite-(Y), etc.

Åskagen Quarry, Persberg district, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden

Allanite-(Y), etc.

Åskagen Quarry, Persberg district, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden

The Åskagen quarry is a long abandoned pegmatite quarry with
quartz as the main product. The quarry was operated from 1882 to
1916, although the workings measure only 50 m long and 5 m
wide. 

Allanite-(Ce), allanite-(Y) and allanite-(Nd) are found in the dumps

of the Åskogen quarry. Allanite-(Ce) is most abundant, and is found
as long prismatic, black crystals embedded in microcline. Allanite-
(Y) forms fine grained aggregates, veinlets and black rims, and are
associated with yellowish thalenite-(Y). Allanite-(Nd) has a similar
appearance as allanite-(Y), but it is associated with brownish
limorite-(Y) rather than the yellowish thalenite-(Y). 

References: 

Bosio, Paolo (2015) Mindat message

board: http://www.mindat.org/mesg-21-358381.html

Breihaupt, A. (1844) Vorläufige Notiz ein neues, dem Allanit

ähnliches Mineral betreffend.- Poggendorffs Annalen der Physik und
Chemie 138 (bzw. 62 bzw. 2. Band 3. Reihe), pp 273-275. 

Fleischer, Michael (1985) A summary of the variations in relative

abundance of the lanthanides and yttrium in allanites and epidotes.
Bulletin of the Geological Society Finland Vol. 57, Part 1-2, pp 151-
155.

Kartashov, Pavel. data and observations in Mindat photo captions as

well as Mindat messageboard correspondence. 
Kerndt, T. (1848 a) Ueber die chemische Zusammensetzung des
Bodenits.- Journal für praktische Chemie, Vol. 43, pp 219-237.

Jansson, Mikael (2001) Åskagens kvartsbrott (Torskebäckens

kvartsbrott). Published on www.k1q.net/skarn

Revheim, O., and Currier, R., (2015) Allanite-(Ce). revision 1.0.

Mindat Best Minerals Project, article "mesg-66-137477
http://www.mindat.org/mesg-66-137477.html

Scapin, Giovanni (2015) Personal communication.

Witzke, Thomas (Undated): Grenzfälle - Minerale, die sächsische

Erstbeschreibungen hätten werden können, Strahlen.org
homepage, http://tw.strahlen.org/typloc/sachsen_anhang1.html

Mineralienatlas locality page: http://www.mineralienatlas.de/?

l=9564

Mindat mineral page, locality pages and photo captions.