thumb|150px|Titanite crystal model

Titanite, or sphene (),

Nomenclature

The International Mineralogical Association Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names (CNMMN) adopted the name titanite and "discredited" the name sphene as of 1982, although commonly papers and books initially identify the mineral using both names. Sphene was the most commonly used name until the IMA decision, although both were well known. think it is less confusing as the word is used to describe any chemical or crystal with oxidized titanium such as the rare earth titanate pyrochlores series and many of the minerals with the perovskite structure. The name sphene continues to be publishable in peer-reviewed scientific literature, e.g. a paper by Hayden et al. was published in early 2008 in the journal Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology. Jewelry use of titanite is limited, both because the stone is uncommon in gem quality and is relatively soft.

Titanite can also be used as a U-Pb geochronometer, specifically in metamorphic terranes.

Titanite is commonly mentioned in the Dark Souls video game series as a material used to upgrade weapons and various other items.

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File:Titanit.jpg|Specimen from the mineral collection of the Naturmuseum Senckenberg in Frankfurt am Main

File:Titanite-tt56a.jpg|Titanite crystal that is totally gemmy and transparent, with a light olive-green color, perched on matrix of calcite and epidote

File:Titanite-Adularia-Clinochlore-275128.jpg|Bright green, twinned crystal of titanite with adularia and minor clinochlore on matrix

File:Titanite-163984.jpg|Olive-green titanite spear point set in matrix from Pakistan

File:Titanite-37979.jpg|Green titanite crystal perched right at the top of a column of gray, chlorite-included crystals

File:Titanite-23006.jpg|Yellow-green titanite twinned crystal perched vertically on the matrix

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References

  • Madagascar Sphene Properties, Occurrences and Geological data