Bytownites are not usually known in the gemstone industry because its composition and occurrence are somewhat hard to find. It had become one of the rarest gemstones belonging to the plagioclase feldspars family.
An Introduction One of the rarest gemstones to be the fifth member of the plagioclase family is the bytownite. Its composition comprises of minerals that range from pure albite to anorthite. Bytownite from the real class is defined as at least 90-70% calcium and 10-30% sodium. This should be seen in the position of the structure of its crystal. To identify feldspars, one should look into the gradations of density and refraction when chemical analysis or optical measurements are absent.
Plagioclase feldspars show a type of twinning named after pure albite. Twinning is formed when a stack of layers twin together which are fractions of several millimeters thick. The formation of bytownite exhibits a grey to white crystal that shows striations. Bytownite has two properties namely the refractive indices and specific gravity .Its specific gravity varies between 2.75-2.76. To precisely determine these properties will enable you to identify and analyze the...