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Potassium

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Potassium is a chemical element in the periodic table. It has the symbol K (L. kalium) and atomic number 19. The name "potassium" comes from the word "potash", as potassium was first isolated from potash.

 


Potassium
A common soft, silver-white, alkali metal element that is only found in nature as a compound with other elements.

potassium rich feldspars (Orthoclase group) are important parts of rock forming minerals, granite, granite pegmatites, carbonatites, and hornfels.

Potassium sulfide; dissolved in water to create a patina on metal
lost wax casting ...

LOS, or potassium sulfide, is a chemical coloring agent used to put a patina on metal. In this case, the metal is fired and finished Precious Metal Clay or Art Clay.

Moonstone is a potassium-rich orthoclase member of the feldspar group of minerals and is closely related to sunstone and labradorite. The name feldspar comes from the German feldt spat, meaning “field stone.

hydrous sulfate of aluminum and potassium: KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6
Crystallography: Hexagonal, usually massive crystals are rare
Colors: white, gray, pink
Luster: vitreous to pearly,translucent to transparent Hardness: 3.5 - 4
Specific gravity: 2.6 - 2.9 ...

potassium-argon dating A form of isotope dating that relies on the extremely long half-life of radioactive isotopes of potassium, which decay into isotopes of argon, to determine the age of rocks in which argon is present.

surface conformal color layers in the pink-orange Madagascar sapphires indicated to us that the likely cause was the bulk diffusion into the stone of light elements such as beryllium, magnesium, or calcium (or perhaps lithium, sodium or potassium) ...

However, magma also contains in varying quantities ions of all the other elements (aluminum, Al, iron, Fe, calcium, Ca, sodium, Na, potassium, K, and magnesium, Mg) which compose the bulk of the earth's crust.

It is a potassium sodium lithium iron manganese aluminum silicate (now that's a mouthful!). Sugilite forms in syenite, a rock that was created through volcanic activity deep beneath the earth's surface.

A cleaning agent produced by the action of potassium or sodium hydroxide upon animal or vegetable fats or oils.
Soap strips away the skin's natural oils and reduces the surface tension of water.
The water can then get to places it shouldn't: e.g.

Moonstone is made up of potassium Aluminium silicate. Adularescence is caused by the layer effect due to presence of tiny inclusions of another feldspar in the host material.

It could be argued that since experiments were conducted with several flux agents like potassium hydroxide and barium fluoride,the final product, although described as rhombohedral ruby crystal, was actually red, violet, and bluish in color.

liver of sulfur - potassium sulfurated, a chemical used when dissolved in water to oxidize silver and other metals, particularly copper alloys such as gold, to produce varying shades of brown to black, for a finish.

Moonstone is the best known gem variety of orthoclase feldspar, being potassium aluminium silicate. It is usually polished as a cabochon, and is often carved with a moon face.

Its composition is potassium aluminosilicate (KAlSi3O8), and is a type of feldspar (a green variety of microcline). Amazonite is usually set as a cabochon (since it breaks easily if faceted).

The entire feldspar group is divided into two main branches, the potassium feldspars: microcline and orthoclase, and the sodium/calcium feldspars known as the plagioclase "series".

Mica: A group of minerals consisting of hydrous silicates of aluminum or potassium which are common in igneous and metamorphic rocks.

American southwestern turquoise is associated with weathered by-products of copper sulfide deposits in or around potassium feldspar bearing porphyritic intrusives.

Overview: The name "feldspar" comes from "field stone", because when feldspar weathers, it releases large amounts of plant nutrients, such as potassium, which enrich the soil.

Chemical composition -- A silicate of potassium and calcium, also containing fluorine and water.
Color -- Mostly colorless or pale shades of yellow or green. Rarely dark green. Stones can be colorless in the extreme.

Amazonite: Amazonite is potassium aluminosilicate found in igneous rock. Belongs to feldspar family. 6 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Clean routinely with mild soap and warm water solution.

Compounds & Effects - Liver and Sulphur / Potassium Sulphide
Will create highly toxic fumes of oxides of sulfur when heated to decomposition. Can cause damage to the eyes and lungs.
Jewelry Frequently Asked Questions ...

Chemical Composition: potassium aluminum silicate
Crystal System: monoclinic
Hardness: 6
Specific Gravity: 2.56-2.59 ...

The particular feldspar that furnishes most of the moonstone is orthoclase, a silicate of potassium and aluminum. Another feldspar sometimes seen as a semiprecious stone is Labradorite. Amazonite, also is a feldspar.

Tourmaline is a complex borosilicate mineral with varying amounts of aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, potassium, and sometimes other elements, used as a gem.

Its chief commercial importance is for its compounds, as potassium chromate, lead chromate, etc., which are brilliantly colored and are used dyeing and calico printing. The common modern usage is for very shiny metal objects like chrome bumpers, etc.

Potash Glass - glass containing potassium carbonate, when a certain thickness is desired for cutting.

The moonstone is actually the feldspar variety known as 'adularia', a potassium aluminosilicate of gemstone quality, which is also found in the European Alps near the Adula Group - hence the name 'adularia'.

All feldspars are types of aluminium silicate, with potassium, calcium, sodium or barium. Varieties include sunstone, moonstone, labradorite and amazonite. From the German ‘feld' field and ‘spath' rock.

and who had previously isolated the elements sodium, potassium, barium, calcium and magnesium - managed,
by similar techniques, to isolate the unknown element (strontium) from the new mineral species.


rhyolite
Rhyolite is a a type of volcanic lava or rock that is usually light in color; it contains 69 percent silica and is high in potassium and sodium.

Sugilite is Potassium Sodium Lithium Iron Manganese Aluminum Silicate; its formula is KNa2Li3(Fe, Mn, Al)2Si12O30. This stone was named for Ken-ichi Sugi, the Japanese geologist who discovered it in 1944.

feldspar Number six on the Mohs hardness scale. A group of crystalline structures that are all aluminum silicates with at least one other mineral included such as potassium, sodium, calcium or barium.

Psilomelane, sometimes known as Black Hematite, is a group name for hard black manganese oxides such as hollandite and romanechite. Psilomelane consists of hydrous manganese oxide with variable amounts of barium and potassium.
...

Most rocks at the Earth's surface are formed from only eight elements (oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium), but these elements are combined in a number of ways to make rocks that are very different.

The name, Amazonite, has been taken from the Amazon River, where formerly certain green stones were obtained, but it is found in Brazil. The origin of the stone is the New England States and Colorado. The composition is basically of potassium ...

59%, potassium 1.20%, titanium .90%, phosphorus .35%, magnesium .12%, strontium .06%, Beryllium .04%, copper .03%, lead .03%, zirconium .02%, chromium .02%, and zinc .02%; the remaining 0.16 percent is sulfur, chlorine, and water.

Upon weathering the Canada Hill granite takes on a dull gray appearance with quartz and garnet becoming prominent due to their resistance (Berkey and Rice, 1921). Canada Hill granite has been dated by Potassium-Argon dating to between 800-900 ...

See also: Mineral, Crystal, Color, Stone, Water