A mineral which was found long ago in the well-known emerald deposits east of
Sverdlovsk in the
Urals, but was mistaken for quartz.
Count Petrovski, a
Russian mineral collector, took away a few specimens while inspecting the mines, and upon closer examination, it became evident that this was an entirely different mineral.
Phenakite occurs relatively rarely in the form of columnar crystals, chielfy in pegmatites. The crystals are sometimes twinned and appear to be hexagonally symmetrical, much like the crystals of quartz. This is why it took so long for this mineral to be accurately described. Apart from the Urals, the best known deposits are Kragero in Norway, Pike's Peak (Colorado) in the USA and San Miguel in Brazil. It is also used as a precious stone.