New Mineral Studies Reveal Tourmaline Boron Limits and Advanced IR Methods

The study by Fort et al. found minimum boron concentrations needed to form Mg‑rich tourmaline at hydrothermal temperatures. At 400 °C the threshold was 2 wt% B₂O₃, rising to 3.4 wt% at 600 °C. Thermodynamic models reproduce this trend but require refinement to match experimental chemistry. These constraints help predict natural fluid–rock interactions and ore deposit formation.¹

The IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification released Newsletter 93 with contributions from Bosi, Hatert, Pasero and Mills discussing updates to mineral classification and nomenclature standards. This newsletter provides guidance for researchers cataloguing newly discovered species.¹

Gies, Hermann, Cametti and Aulbach introduced improved FTIR methods for quantifying OH absorption in nominally anhydrous pyroxenes. Using angle-resolved polarized spectra between 0° and 180°, they identified spectral endmembers in the Si–O overtone region that reduce uncertainty in H₂O quantification. Their approach enhances analysis of anisotropic minerals.¹