Dellaite crystals of close to end-member composition, Ca6(Si2O7)(SiO4)(OH)2, and with ∼1.5 wt.% Cl. yielding Ca6(Si2O7)(SiO4)(OH)1.75Cl0.25 have been found in skarns within the gabbroid rocks of the Birkhin complex (Eastern Siberia, Russia). The greatest Cl content analysed in a dellaite domain in this skarn is 5.2 wt.% Cl corresponding to 0.8 Cl p.f.u. Dellaite occurs in altered merwmite-larnite-bredigite-gehlenite skarns and also in calcio-olivine skarns with residual larnite. The crystal structures of Cl-free and Cl-bearing (∼1.5 wt.% Cl) dellaite have been refined, including hydrogen positions, from single-crystal X-ray data to R1 = 3.7 and 3.8%, respectively. In addition, both dellaite varieties were studied by Raman spectroscopy indicating stronger hydrogen bonds for the Cl-bearing sample, which agrees with the structural data. Cl is strongly selective and enriches at one (O6) of the two OH positions allowing for the formation of a stronger hydrogen bond O8—H8…C16 compared to O8—H8…O6. Raman spectra of the domain with ∼0.8 Cl p.f.u. confirm the general enhancement of a low-frequency band in the OH range suggesting the dominance of the O—H…Cl hydrogen bond systems.Dellaite and killalaite, Ca3.2(H0.6Si2O7)(OH), have related modular structures, differentiated only by the Si2O7 units in killalaite and alternating Si2O7 and SiO4 units in dellaite. The similarity in cell dimensions and chemical composition suggests that trabzonite, Ca4Si3Oi0-2H2O, with Si3Oi0 trimers also belongs to the same family of structures.

The new mineral pavlovskyite Ca 8 (SiO 4 ) 2 (Si 3 O 10 ) forms rims together with dellaite Ca 6 (Si 2 O 7 )(SiO 4 ) (OH) 2 around galuskinite Ca 7 (SiO 4 ) 3 CO 3 veins cutting calcio-olivine skarns in the Birkhin gabbro massif. In addition, skeletal pavlovskyite occurs in cuspidine zones of altered carbonate xenoliths in the ignimbrites of the Upper Chegem caldera (North Caucasus). The synthetic analog of pavlovskyite has been synthesized before and is known from cement-like materials. Isotypic to pavlovskyite is the synthetic germanate analog Ca 8 (GeO 4 ) 2 (Ge 3 O 10 ). The crystal structure of pavlovskyite, space group Pbcn, a = 5.0851(1), b = 11.4165(3), c = 28.6408(8) Å, V = 1662.71(7) Å 3 , Z = 4, has been refined from X-ray single-crystal data to R1 = 3.87%. The new colorless mineral has a Mohs hardness of 6-6.5, biaxial (-), α = 1.656(2), β = 1.658(2), γ = 1.660(2) (589 nm), 2V (meas) = 80(5)°, 2V (calc) = 89.9°, medium dispersion: r > v, optical orientation: X = b, Y = c, Z = a.For comparison with pavlovskyite, the crystal structure of kilchoanite Ca 6 (SiO 4 )(Si 3 O 10 ) from the Birkhin massif [space group I2cm, a = 11.4525(2), b = 5.0867(1), c = 21.996(3) Å, V = 1281.40(4) Å 3 , Z = 4] has been refined from single-crystal X-ray data to R1 = 2.00%.Pavlovskyite represents a 1:1 member of a polysomatic series with calcio-olivine γ-Ca 2 SiO 4 and kilchoanite Ca 6 (SiO 4 )(Si 3 O 10 ) as end-member modules. The structure is characterized by strongly folded trisilicate units (Si 3 O 10 ) interwoven with a framework of CaO 6 and CaO 8 polyhedra. Olivine-like slices with orthosilicate groups are interstratified with the characteristic trisilicate module of Ca 4 (Si 3 O 10 ) composition. Although the optical properties of pavlovskyite and kilchoanite are similar, both minerals can be distinguished by chemical analyses (different Ca/Si ratio), X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The new mineral is named after V.E. Pavlovsky , an outstanding geologist in the area of Eastern Siberia, in particular of the Baikal region.

In addition to spurrite, Ca5(SiO4)2(CO3), and tilleyite, Ca5(Si2O7)(CO3)2, galuskinite, C is the third mineral in the CaO—SiO2—CO2ternary system. Galuskinite, monoclinic, space groupP21/c (a =18.79,b =6.72,c= 10.47 Å, β = 90.79°,V =1322 Å3,Z =4), occurs in thin veins which cut calcio-olivine, γ-Ca2SiO4, skarn with larnite, β-Ca2SiO4, relics. Pavlovskyite, Ca8(SiO4)2(Si3O10), and dellaite, Ca6(Si2O7)(SiO4)(OH)2, form a margin between the veins and the calcio-olivine skarn. The sanidinite facies high-temperature skarn formed ∼500 Ma ago when gabbroid rocks of the Birkhin complex (Baikal area, Eastern Siberia, Russia) intruded and contact-metamorphosed limestone xenoliths. Galuskinite is a retrograde product of skarn alteration and has neither been described from cement clinker production processes nor from studies of the CaO—SiO2—CO2system. The crystal structure of galuskinite, refined from single crystal X-ray data toRi =3.1%, has a modular character. One may define a polysomatic series with spurrite and larnite as endmembers and galuskinite as a 1:1 polysome built from regular alternating spurrite and larnite modules. Differences between the X-ray powder patterns of galuskinite and spurrite are most obvious in the low 8 region. Galuskinite is named after the Russian mineralogists Irina O. Galuskina and Evgeny V. Galuskin, Faculty of Earth Sciences. University of Silesia, Poland, for their outstanding contributions to skarn mineralogy.

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