Si
Zr
O
K

Wadeite

Wadeite is a cyclosilicate having three-membered rings. The 3-membered silica rings are bonded to zirconium (Zr) to form the backbone structure. Potassium (K) is the charge-balancing cation in this instance.

Distribution

Wadeite can be found in Australia and Russia. It is of rare occurrence, but is a good example of a 3-membered cyclosilicate ring structure.

Swanson, D. K. and C.T. Prewitt. 1983. The crystal structure of K2SiSi3O9. American Mineralogist 68:581-585