LEVYNITE ALSO KNOWN AS : Lévyne (thumbnail)

Levyne, also known as levynite, is a hydrated silicate mineral classified as a zeolite. It exists in two primary forms: Levyne-Na, which is sodium-dominant with the formula (Na2,Ca,K2)Al2Si4O12·6(H2O), and Levyne-Ca, which is calcium-dominant with the formula (Ca,Na2,K2)Al2Si4O12·6(H2O). This mineral crystallizes in the Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral class and is typically found in radiating clusters or fibrous masses, exhibiting a range of colors from white to reddish, yellowish white, and gray. With a specific gravity between 2.09 and 2.16 and a Mohs hardness of 4.0 to 4.5, it displays a vitreous luster and perfect cleavage along the [1011] plane. Levyne is commonly found as an alteration and vesicle-filling mineral in basalt formations.

The mineral is named after the French mineralogist Armand Lévy, who lived from 1795 to 1841. The calcium variant was first identified in 1821 at Dalsnipa, Sandoy, in the Faroe Islands, while the sodium variant was described later in 1997 from a site in Chojabaru, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.