Encyclopedia of Japanese Minerals (Go to Intro Page)
by Alfredo Petrov
Minerals Starting with "K"
KAERSUTITE (kerusuuto-senseki)
Fukushima: In teschenite rock at Sakamoto.
Hokkaido: With K-feldspar, "salite", biotite, apatite and aegirine-augite in a lamprophyre (camptonite) dike in Nakanogawa Formation rocks in central Hokkaido.
Nagasaki: In alkaline volcanics at Mushouzu and Numazu and other places on Iki island. Phenocrysts in scoria from Mt. Takenotsuji in Gohnoura-cho, empirically (Ca 1.86, Na 0.98, K 0.11) (Mg 2.51, Ti 0.85, Fe''' 0.80, Fe'' 0.63, Al 0.23, Mn'' 0.02) (Si 5.83, Al 2.17) O 22 (O 1.41, (OH) 0.45, F 0.15); from a cognate xenolith in trachyte, west of Kakujo-san in the same town, empirically (Ca 1.77, Na 0.98, K 0.20) (Mg 2.50, Fe'' 1.10, Ti 0.80, Fe''' 0.45, Al 0.20, Mn'' 0.02) (Si 5.94, Al 2.06) O 22 (O 1.07, (OH) 0.78, F 0.16) (both analyses from: Aoki, K. (1959) Sci. Rept. Tohoku Univ., series 3, 6, 261). Iki kaersutites are altered along fractures and cleavages to dense aggregates of dark brown alkali amphibole, titanaugite, magnetite, ilmenite, plagioclase and chlorite.
Saga: Phenocrysts in alkaline volcanics in the Higashi-Matsuura peninsula.
Shimane: In a basaltic dike at Chikaishi on Oki island. The kaersutite here is sometimes altered completely or just marginally to Ti-rich pigeonite, titanaugite, rhoenite, aenigmatite(?), olivine, magnetite, plagioclase and glass. Analysis gave the empirical formula (Ca 1.74, Na 0.75, K 0.30) (Mg 2.47, Fe'' 0.92, Ti 0.79, Fe''' 0.52, Al 0.51, Mn'' 0.02) (Si 6.00 Al 2.00) O 22 (O 1.63, (OH) 0.37) (Tomita, J. (1934) Journ. Shanghai Sci. Inst., sect. 2, 99).
KAMACITE (kamasaito)
Iwate: With forsterite in the 135Kg Kesen H4 ordinary chondrite meteorite (27.16% total Fe), also known as the "Iwate" or "Okirai" meteorite. (Obviously also in numerous other japanese meteorites.)
KAMAISHILITE (kamaishi-seki)
Iwate: The type locality for this basic calcium-aluminum silicate of the sodalite-danalite group is the Kamaishi mine, where it forms colorless vitreous, 0.1mm grains with no cleavage, in vesuvianite skarn. Other associated species are hydrogarnets, perovskite, calcite, magnetite and minor chalcopyrite. (Alteration product of vesuvianite?)
"KAMIOKALITE" = zinc-rich veszelyite (qv).
KAMIOKITE (kamioka-koh)
Gifu: The type locality for this ferrous iron-molybdenum oxide is the Kamioka Pb-Zn-Ag mine, where it formed under reducing conditions in oxidized molybdenite-quartz boxwork veinlets in the "No. 2 granite porphyry dike" between the Maruyama and Tochibora orebodies, on the -200m level of the Tochibora adit. Kamiokite forms metallic iron-black, euhedral thick tabular or short prismatic simple hexagonal crystals to 3mm across (although original description was of only grains to 0.05mm), with perfect cleavage, partially replaced by molybdenite, and associated with fluorite, K-feldspar, chlorite, and minor scheelite and ilmenite. The best specimens (extremely rare) exhibit druses of free-growing crystals covering one face of a hand-size rock. (Kamiokite is not found in the apophyllite pockets here.)
"KANBARAITE" (See MONTMORILLONITE from Kanbara district, Niigata.)
KANKITE (kanyuku-seki)
Ouita: A weathering product of native arsenic (qv) at the Mukuno mine.
Yamanashi: Yellowish green, dull to vitreous, earthy kankite at the Suzukura arsenic mine, the 2nd world locality for this species (1983), coating quartz or filling voids in earthy material, associated only with amorphous Fe hydroxide, is a recent product of arsenopyrite decomposition in a patch of dump located in a swampy depression. Although scorodite and other arsenates occur abundantly at this mine, none are associated with the kankite. Unlike the type locality, this kankite has minor ferric sulfate and hydroxide substituting for arsenate. Very thin tabular crystals less than 0.01mm size form tiny spherulitic aggregates. Always wet when first found, they quickly lose their green color when dried in air.
KANOITE (kanoh-kiseki)
Hokkaido: The type locality for this manganese-magnesium pyroxene is the Tatehira mine, where it forms light pinkish brown vitreous grains in a "seam" with spessartine, pyroxmangite and manganoan cummingtonite in pyroxmangite-cummingtonite manganese ore which was recrystallized by a granite intrusion. Mn-Mg are replaced by minor FeO (about 3%) and CaO (0.4 to 0.6%). Analysis gave the formula (Mn'' 1.04 Mg 0.88 Fe'' 0.09 Ca 0.02 Fe''' 0.01)2.04 Si 1.97 O 6.
Miyazaki: Pinkish grey glassy agregates with brownish alabandite at the Shimozuru manganese mine.
KAOLINITE (kaorinaito)
Akita: Abundant with anglesite, limonite and osarizawaite in the oxide zone of Pb-Zn-Cu veins at the Osarizawa mine.
Aomori: A major constituent of acid lacustrine sediments in the Osorezan caldera, with sulfur, orpiment and other sulfides.
Kumamoto: Forms the outer shell of the "manju-seki" halloysite (qv) concretions from Kikuka-machi.
Okayama: White compact earthy masses mined at Mitsuishi. (relationship to pyrophyllite deposits here?)
Shiga: A "pink kaolin" from Tanokamiyama was described as the new species "TAKIZOLITE" in 1929, named after Takizo Ueno, the collector who found it, and it received some attention because of traces of unusual elements it contained. Analysis (as wt% of oxides) Si 53.91, Al 26.28, Fe''' 1.69, REE 0.67, Fe'' 0.26, Mn'' 0.39, Ca 0.12, Mg 0.09, Ti 0.03, Na 1.03, K 0.62, F 0.03, volatiles 15.60. X-ray absorption shows a significant trace of Ru! Spectrometry shows that the REE includes major Y, and lesser La, Dy, Nd, Sc, Ce, Yb, Tm. Faintly pink, light brown or flesh-colored, irregular 1mm masses, mostly apparently amorphous, but with some microcrystalline parts, associated with quartz, orthoclase and biotite in slightly weathered granite. (RI 1.515 at 120 degrees C; streak white; H 2.5.) It is not certain that this substance is really kaolinite.
Shizuoka: "Chrome-kaolinite" from Urakawa, with 0.5 to 1% Cr oxide, was described by Toshio Sudo in 1942.
Tochigi: Kaolinite is mined as pure white masses in a 1 to 3m wide acid alteration zone along the hanging wall of gold-quartz veins in Neogene tuff breccia at the Kanpaku mine, which has previously been mined for gold. Also at the Haguro mine.
KARIBIBITE (karibibu-seki)
Ouita: Tiny golden brown needles loosely filling cavities to a few mm wide in black matrix at the Kiura mine.
"KASOITE" = Potassium-rich CELSIAN (qv) (kaso-chohseki)
KASOLITE (kasoro-seki)
Okayama: With coffinite at the Kenzan mine, in copper-bearing veins traversing granitic rocks.
KATAYAMALITE (katayama-seki)
Ehime: The type locality for this complex potassium-lithium-calcium-titanium ring silicate is Funakoshi, on Iwagi island. It forms white granular aggregates, tabular single crystals and twins, with one perfect cleavage direction, and a brilliant blue-white fluorescence under UV light, in aegirine-syenite. Associated species are albite, aegirine, sugilite and pectolite. Katayamalite was originally defined as the (OH)-analogue (OH:F = 1.76:0.24) of baratovite, but since baratovite has been redefined as being (OH)- rather than F-dominant, the distinction between the two species is no longer clear, although katayamalite would seem to have precedence as the OH member. (Baratovite also contains non-essential zirconium, whereas katayamalite does not.) Also, unlike baratovite, katayamalite has been found to have structural distortions resulting in triclinic symmetry. One analysis gave: (K 0.85 Na 0.10)0.95 Li 3.0 (Ca 6.94 Mn 0.04)6.98 (Ti 1.90 Fe''' 0.05)1.95 Si 12 O 35.78 (OH)1.85 F 0.25 (by microprobe, except Li by flame photometry, water by gravimetry, F by specific ion electrode).
KAWAZULITE (kawazu-koh)
Hokkaido: In Ag-Bi-Te-Se-S mineralization of the Ohkubo vein at the Suttsu Pb-Zn mine, associated with unnamed Bi3(Te,Se,S)4.
Shizuoka: The type locality for this bismuth telluride-selenide is the Kawazu gold-silver mine, where it occurs as silver-white to tin-white, thin flexible folia up to 0.05mm thick and 4mm across, with perfect basal cleavage, in a white quartz vein. Microscopic hexagonal patterns visible on the basal plane. Selenian native tellurium occurs more abundantly in the same quartz vein, but generally not together with the kawazulite. (Streak light steel-grey (lighter than tetradymite); H 1.5; polishing hardness less than tellurium; D 8.08.) Microprobe analysis: Bi 55.4, Te 31.9, Se 9.9, S 0.1. Probably forms an isomorphous series with tetradymite. (NB: Kawazulite is NOT found at the nearby Daimatsu Ag-Au mine.)
KELLYITE (kerii-seki)
Fukui: Fujii mine.
Kouchi: The "tosalite" (qv) from the Niro (or Ananai) mine might be kellyite.
Saitama: Massive, enclosing grains of alabandite, pyrite and other sulphides in manganese ore at the Hirogawara mine.
KERMESITE (kouan-koh)
Kagoshima: Deep red crystal sprays, rarely to 1cm, more usually 2mm long, in vugs in ore at the Hinomoto mine. Formed by decomposition of berthierite. Associated with minor valentinite. These are among the specimens most eagerly sought by Japanese collectors, and even poor specimens sell for over $200! Also at the Nishisuzuyama mine.
Miyazaki: Shika mine.
KESTERITE (oh-shaku-aen-koh)
Hokkaido: In the Sorachi vein of the Toyoha mine, with several other tin sulfosalts; and in the Izumo vein with wurtzite, sphalerite and sakuraiite.
(Hyougo: "Kesterite" from the Ikuno mine is really petrukite.)
KIDWELLITE (kidoweru-seki)
Ibaragi: Yukiiri is the second world locality for kidwellite, where it occured as green microballs with numerous other phosphate species in a single boulder of phosphate pegmatite in a granitic rock quarry.
KILCHOANITE (kirukoan-seki)
Okayama: White grains from micro to 2mm at Fuka, in purple spurrite near contact with dark brown gehlenite, and as inclusions in hillebrandite veinlets cutting purple spurrite. The kilchoanite grains can have inclusions of colorless grains of rankinite.
KIMURAITE-(Y) (kimura-ishi; kimura-seki)
Saga: The type locality for this hydrous calcium-yttrium carbonate is Kirigo, where it forms pale purplish pink to pinkish white (paler than lanthanite-(Nd)), scaly to thin-tabular crystals from micros to 4x2cm, with silky or pearly luster, one perfect cleavage direction, in loose foliated-radial spherulitic aggregates or clusters. Strong red, pink, reddish purple to purple fluorescence under UV light. Large vugs contain crusts of many adjoining spherules. It is associated with lanthanite-(Nd), lokkaite-(Y), kozoite-(Nd), calcite and aragonite, as a secondary mineral in cavities and fissures up to 10cm wide that parallel flow structures in the uppermost horizon of a widespread grey Pleistocene alkali-olivine-basalt. Also similarly at Shinkoba and Niikoba and Yokotake and Urigazaka.
KINICHILITE (kin-ichi-seki)
Shizuoka: The type locality for this complex sodium-iron tellurate is the Kawazu gold-silver mine. It is the ferrous analogue of zemannite. Forms subadamantine dark brown hexagonal prisms to 2mm, with a brown streak and no cleavage, in vugs in a hydrothermal vein of chalcedonic quartz with native tellurium. Kinichilite apparently formed by the action of ferrous fluids on tellurite in the oxide zone. Mg, Zn and minor Mn replace Fe, and traces of Se replace Te.
KINOITE (kino-seki)
Okayama: Very rare, tiny druses of kinoite crystals to 0.01mm at Fuka, associated with henmilite. Also as bright blue anhedral grains and aggregates to 3mm, surrounded by light blue stain, in white granular matrix.
KINOSHITALITE-1M (kinoshita-unmo; kinoshita-ishi)
Aichi: As brown spots resembling phlogopite, associated with green richterite at the Taguchi manganese mine.
Iwate: The type locality for this barium-magnesium member of the mica group is the Misago orebody at the Noda-Tamagawa mine. It forms lustrous yellow-brown to dark golden brown or reddish brown scales to 2mm across, in two different associations: in dark grey hausmannite-tephroite ore; and with celsian, quartz, spessartine, rhodonite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, sonolite, rhodochrosite, huebnerite.
Kyoto: At Hokkejino as small, pale brown cleavages to 2.5mm sparsely disseminated in massive grey to pink tephroite-rhodonite rock.
KINTOREITE (kintoa-seki)
Shizuoka: Reported from the Kawazu mine, but needs confirmation.
KOBEITE-(Y) (kohbe-ishi; kohbe-seki)
Hiroshima: Kobeite occurs in pegmatites in granite at Senogawa-machi (Setagawa) in Hiroshima city, and nearby in Hataga, included in quartz and feldspar, associated with xenotime, gadolinite, thorogummite, allanite, fergusonite(?), fayalite, and hyalite opal. The kobeite forms acicular crystals to over 1cm, with rhombic cross-section, in hemispherical radiating aggregates. Black, with vitreous luster.
Kyoto: The type locality for this metamict radioactive yttrium-zirconium-titanium-oxide is the Shiraishi pegmatite mine on Shiraishiyama in Kobe village (whence the name, although this is now part of Ohmiya town), where it occurs as acicular prisms to 5cm long (but generally less than 2cm), up to 3mm thick, or as irregular stumpy prisms, coarsely longitudinally striated, in narrow subparallel bundles or divergent groups, embedded in friable altered microcline in pegmatite in biotite granite. Needles often show an X-shaped cross-section, presumably due to twinning. Metamict; gives XRD pattern of cubic zirconia after heating to 1,000 C. The color is deep coffee-brown to black (brown to yellowish brown in thin section), luster vitreous to resinous or submetallic, with a very brittle conchoidal fracture. Although kobeite is essentially Y-Zr-Ti-oxide, it has many complex substitutions, with large amounts (5<15 wt% oxides) of U, Fe and Nb, and smaller amounts (1<4%) of Ce, Th, Mn and Si. XRF also shows presence of Ga,Hf,Sn,Pb,Ta,Sm,Tb,Dy,Lu. When first described in 1950, Zr was not included in the analysis, and kobeite was wrongly thought to be related to euxenite and polycrase. Better analysis (by Masutomi et al.) gave (expressed as wt% of oxide): Ti 26.21, Y-group REE 24.40, (Zr,Hf) 14.91, Fe (tot.) 8.32, (Nb,Ta) 7.25, U 5.39, Mn'' 2.16, Si 1.99, Ce-group REE 1.83, Th 1.25, Ca 0.53, Mg 0.50, Al 0.33, water+ 3.87 (Pb, Na not determined). Associated minerals are parisite, zircon, monazite-(Ce), chevkinite, xenotime, biotite, albite, quartz (both smoky and milky varieties), muscovite and ilmenite. (Streak reddish brown; H 5.5; D 4.60.) Also nearby at the Ushio mine, with chemistry similar to that at Shiraishi: Ti 26.02, Y-group REE 21.98, (Zr,Hf) 17.08, Fe (tot.) 9.55, (Nb,Ta) 8.01, U 5.84, Ce-group REE 1.64, Si 1.59, Mn'' 1.48, Th 1.31, Mg 0.79, Ca 0.73, Al 0.35, water+ 2.81 (Pb, Na not determined) (Masutomi, et al. analysis).
KOBELITE (koberu-koh)
Yamanashi: At the Otome mine. Cannot be visually distinguished from the giessenite and izoklakeite here.
"KOCHITE" (See ZUNYITE.)
KOECHLINITE (kehirin-seki)
Gifu: As earthy, greyish yellow, irregular nodules to 6mm, containing cores of concentric zavaritskite and native bismuth, from a pneumatolytic wolframite-molybdenite-bearing white quartz vein at the Ebisu mine.
Okayama: Kamo mine.
KOETTIGITE (kechihi-seki)
Okayama: In cavities and fractures in limonite-stained quartz or compact limonitized arsenopyrite-sphalerite-bearing skarn at the Ohgibira mine, as light blue to dark blue-grey, prismatic crystals to 5mm, sometimes associated with legrandite and other arsenates. Minor Fe and Na replace Zn.
KONINCKITE (koninku-seki)
Fukushima: Takine.
Nagano: Aluminium-bearing koninckite - (Fe''' 0.90, Al 0.10) PO4. 2.98H2O - is found as individual globules and aggregates of globules at the Suwa mine in a bed of phosphate-enriched Pleistocene limonitic goethite-jarosite ore precipitated from acidic hot springs on andesitic pyroclastics of Yatsugatake volcanics. (RI 1.669 - slightly higher than type locality koninckite.) (Sakurai et al. (1987) Bull. Nat. Sci. Mus., ser. C, 13, 149-156)
KOSMOCHLORE (kosumokuroa-kiseki)
Niigata: Deep emerald-green veinlets (2mm x 2cm) in dark blackish green eckermannite jade ("nephrite"), sometimes with rare nickel minerals like shandite and heazlewoodite, in the Himekawa, washed down from serpentinized ultramafics higher up the Kotaki river.
Okayama: Disseminated in one small (5cm) greenish black serpentine rock (serpentinized harzburgite) near the Ohsayama white jadeite locality, as grass-green prismatic crystals to about 0.1mm, associated with numerous minute (0.01mm) uvarovite xls. The locality is now under a roofed-over monument dedicated to kosmochlore, but no more is to be found there. (Sangun metamorphic belt.)
KOTOITE (kotoh-ishi; kotoh-seki)
Iwate: Kotoite forms colorless, vitreous, microscopic grains (up to 0.8mm) in borate-bearing dolomite marble at a granodiorite-dolomite contact zone in the Neichi molybdenum mine (Kamineichi), the 2nd world locality for this species (found by Profs. Takeo Watanabe and Akira Kato in 1955). Associated with tiny needles of ludwigite, or clinohumite and spinel, also suanite, szaibelyite, warwickite.
KOZOITE-(La) (rantan-kohzoh-seki) IMA# 2002-054
Saga: Type locality is Mitsukoshi (2002), where it occurs with its Nd-dominant analogue as pink or pale violet translucent spherules to 1 mm, with shiny surface, perched in vugs in alkali olivine basalt. The spheres consist mostly of kozoite-(Nd) but are concentrically zoned, with La-dominant zones up to 0.15mm thick. Internally very finely radial-fibrous, almost chalcedonic. Shows the Nd color change effect, the pink tone becoming invisible under tube lights. Similarly at 'Manetsu'. Already known previously from Niikoba, where pink kozoite-(Nd) spheres have yellow to white centers of kozoite-(La). Associated with lanthanite-(Nd), kimuraite-(Y), lokkaite-(Y), calcite, aragonite and opal. (Dcalc. 4.16; easily soluble with effervescence in dilute HCl.)
KOZOITE-(Nd) (neojimu-kohzoh-seki)
Saga: The type locality for this neodymium carbonate is Niikoba, where it occurs as white or very pale pinkish-violet powdery masses to 1cm, resembling confectionersÕ sugar, with pink radial-bladed lanthanite-(Nd), lanthanite-(La), kimuraite-(Y), hyalite and calcite, as a late hydrothermal mineral in vugs and fissures in Pleistocene alkali olivine basalt. Individual rhombic-dipyramidal crystals reach only 0.01mm, as crystalline crusts coating 2 to 3mm tabular lanthanite-(Nd)-lanthanite-(La) xls, from which it may have been derived by dehydration. Generally visible only by electron microscope. No fluorescence in UV. (La is the only other REE replacing the Nd to a significant extent, along with minor Pr and Sm.) Also as pink spheres with yellow to white centers of kozoite-(La) (qv). Also at Shinkoba and Mitsukoshi.
KOZULITE (kohzu-senseki)
Iwate: Kozulite occurs as black to reddish black or brownish black, short prismatic or bladed grains and subhedral crystals (main faces b(010), m(110) and r(011)) showing brilliant vitreous, scaly cleavages (perfect on (110)) to 7.5mm wide (but more normally 3mm), aggregated in bands in a low-grade Jurassic metasedimentary manganese orebody (braunite-rhodonite-nambulite ore) in quartzite metamorphosed by Cretaceous granodiorite intrusion, at the Tanohata mine, the type locality for this rare Na-Mn-Fe member of the amphibole group (the Mn-analogue of eckermannite). Na is replaced by 0.27 apfu K, and minor Fe''', Mg, Al, Ca are also present, and traces of Zn (0.03 wt% ZnO) and F. Associated minerals include black fine-granular braunite, pink rhodonite, Mn-bearing aegirine, quartz, "other amphibole" and "Mn-alkali pyroxene" (namansilite?). (RI 1.685 - 1.720; pleochroic yellow-brown, reddish brown, dark brown; streak light purplish brown; H 5; D 3.30.) Also reported from the Nohata mine ((error for Tanohata???)), and the Noda-Tamagawa mine.
KUSACHIITE (kusachi-koh)
Okayama: The 4th Level of the Fuka mine is the type locality for this rare, copper-bismuth oxide, allegedly a natural superconductor, found as metallic black, blocky tetragonal crystals to 0.5mm, globular 2mm aggregates of short prisms or thick platy grains, with one direction of perfect cleavage, deep red or dark brown internal reflections, hardness 4.5, density 8.5. Occurred on calcite crystals in a cavity in a calcite vein from 2 to 8cm wide, at the boundary between calcite marble and gehlenite-spurrite skarn. Associated species are henmilite, sillenite, bakerite, tenorite, bultfonteinite, apophyllite, cuspidine and thaumasite. Also as inclusions in nifontovite xls. The white matrix is often stained light blue or light green by secondary copper minerals. (Overly optimistic or careless local collectors sell the abundant black specks of copper oxide as "kusachiite"; Caveat emptor!)
KUTNOHORITE (kutonahora-seki)
(Kutnohorite is found in several of the innumerable japanese manganese ore deposits, where it is usually mistaken for rhodochrosite, although the kutnohorite is a paler shade of pink.)
Nagano: Magnesian kutnohorite occured as euhedral white to pink crystals in cavities in massive rhodochrosite ore at the Ryuujima mine.
Ouita: At the Hoei mine, where it forms the matrix of incaite specimens.
Saitama: Massive at the Chichibu mine.
KYANITE (ranshoh-seki)
Ehime: Prismatic subhedral whitish kyanite crystals to 3cm long occur as porphyroblasts in amphibolite schist of the Sambagawa metamorphic belt at Tohnaru, associated with hornblende, paragonite and zoisite. Kyanite is partly replaced by margarite. (Macroscopic kyanite crystals are surprisingly rare in Japan, except at this locality.) Also nearby around the Besshi mine. Intense blue crystals in white rock at the Shikamori dam site. Pale blue crystals to 1cm wide, 6cm long, at Shishimori (same locality?????????) (Geological Survey specimen, Tsukuba). Also at Irazuyama.
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