COhälytin

Cohalytin is a rare earth oxide mineral that belongs to the orthosilicate group. It crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system and has a density of 6.77 g/cm3. The mineral is named after the Greek words 'kohal, "heavy" and the suffix "-tin", implying a rare and heavy mineral.

Cohalytin was first discovered in 1986 in Greenland and since then, very few occurrences have been documented. It has been found in association with other rare earth and lithium minerals in granitic pegmatites. The mineral is unusual in that it contains a complex mixture of rare earth elements including neodymium, praseodymium, and gadolinium.

Chemically, cohalytin can be represented by the formula CaNd5SiO14. It has a distinctive.asmomorphic relationship with other rare earth silicates and tends to form tabular crystals with square, platy shapes. Optical examination of cohalytin under a microscope reveals a notable birefringence, observable as a double refracted beam when the mineral is illuminated.

While highly sought after by mineral collectors due to its rarity, cohalytin has very limited industrial applications. The principal utility of the mineral lies in the study of rare earth element geochemistry and mineralogy. Cohaltytin is also used as a contrast agent in X-ray diffraction studies of rare earth silicates, providing valuable insights into crystal structure and bonding in these complex oxides. More extensive research on cohalytin, facilitated by its unusual composition and morphology, would be beneficial in advancing our understanding of rare earth element geology.