Laplandia Minerals, Apatity, 2005

This book begins with a geological section outlining the geological structure and petrography of the massif. It includes a short description of the apatite deposits and detailed descriptions of the seventy most interesting- mineral- localities. Subsequent chapters group 436 minerals according to the principal classes: 5 native elements-, 27 sulphides and sulphosalts, 5 halides, 61 oxides and hydroxides, 249 silicates, 29 phosphates, arsenates and vanadates, 1 molybdate, 9 sulphates, 49 carbonates- and 1 oxalate.

Within these classes, the minerals are grouped and arranged in the alphabetical order. The names of minerals found at Khibiny for the first time in the world (89 minerals) are highlighted in dark-blue. Doubtful or insufficiently investigated minerals (35) were excluded, although brief information on them is given in a separate- section at the end of the book. Our contribution to the Khibiny minerals includes twenty new mineral species, 80 minerals found here for the first time, and furthermore, 255 minerals have been anew studied by us to a greater or lesser extent. The book contains 630 colour and white-black SEM-BSE photos, including 592 original ones. All of colour photographs of views and samples have been made by us. SEM-BSE photographs were made by us using S-430 “Hitachi” and Leo-1450 scanning electron microscopes. Unless references for samples are given, all of the these are from our collection.

Each mineral is characterised by its occurrence-, association, morphology, physical properties, X-ray data and chemical compo-sition-. Both literature and original data have been used to formulate these descriptions. The identities of the associated minerals listed in each mineral description have been confirmed by us using X-ray methods. The physical properties and X-ray parameters are generally those of the actual Khibiny minerals-, however, if these data were unavailable, we have used ICDD data without indicating the references. The homogeneity- and chemical composition of the majority- of minerals described in this book were determined by us using an MS-46 “Cameca” electron microprobe (underlined as “microprobe”). Where the chemical composition- could not be investigated by microprobe, wet chemical data are used (underlined as “wet”). The contents of H₂O, Li₂O, BeO, B₂O₃ and CO₂, given in the tables together with microprobe data, were measured by wet chemical methods. In the tables, a dash signifies that concentrations are below detection limits. The estimation of the proportion of ferric iron in amphiboles was made using 13eCNK method (Schumacher-, 1997). The book contains 1062 chemical analyses, including 772 original ones. Unless references- are cited, all data on the composition- and description of the minerals are original and previously- unpublished.

For some rock-forming and accessory minerals widespread throughout the Khibiny massif from the border to the centre (33 km distance), there are 14 diagrams showing changes of their proportions in rocks and chemical compositions of these minerals. These diagrams have been made by us on the basis of collection of 95 samples and 960 microprobe chemical compositions of the minerals.