Editing Albite (section)

== Properties ==
Albite crystallizes with [[triclinic]] pinacoidal forms. Its [[specific gravity]] is about 2.62 and it has a [[Mohs hardness]] of 6 to 6.5. Albite almost always exhibits [[crystal twinning]] often as minute parallel striations on the crystal face. Albite often occurs as fine parallel segregations alternating with pink [[microcline]] in [[perthite]] as a result of exolution on cooling.

There are two variants of albite, which are referred to as 'low albite' and 'high albite'; the latter is also known as 'analbite'. Although both variants are triclinic, they differ in the volume of their unit cell, which is slightly larger for the 'high' form. The 'high' form can be produced from the 'low' form by heating above {{convert|750|°C|°F|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite journal|first=O. F. |last1=Tuttle |first2=N. L. |last2=Bowen |date=1950 |title=High-temperature albite and contiguous feldspars |journal=Journal of Geology |volume=58 |issue=5 |pages=572–583 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/30068571}}</ref> High albite can be found in meteor impact craters such as in [[Winslow, Arizona]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mindat.org/loc-3317.html|title=High Albite|website=www.mindat.org}}</ref> Upon further heating to more than {{convert|1050|°C|abbr=on}} the [[crystal symmetry]] changes from triclinic to [[monoclinic]]; this variant is also known as 'monalbite'.<ref>[http://www.mindat.org/min-34160.html Monalbite on Mindat]</ref> Albite melts at {{convert|1100|-|1120|°C|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1029/98JB02300 |first1=J. P. |last1=Greenwood |first2=P. C. |last2=Hess |date=1998 |title=Congruent melting of albite: theory and experiment |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research |volume=103 |issue=B12 |pages=29815–29828|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Oftentimes, potassium can replace the sodium characteristic in albite at amounts of up to 10%. When this is exceeded the mineral is then considered to be [[anorthoclase]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.minerals.net/mineral/albite.aspx|title=Anorthoclase|website=www.minerals.net}}</ref>