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My Mineral Collection, Miscellaneous Systematic Phosphates, Arsenates, & Vanadates Page

These are my phosphates, arsenates, and vanadates. There are hundreds of phosphates but only a relative few of them are common.

For some reason the current mineral classification scheme limits vanadates to only ortho- and pyrovanadates - all of the other vanadates are now classed with the oxides. I have not yet realigned my collection so you will find some hexa- and decavanadates on this page.

Phosphates on Other Pages
Brazilianite, florencite, and turquoise are on my gemstones page.

Arthurite, calciovolborthite, chalcophyllite, chenevixite, clinoclase, clinotyrolite, conichalcite, cornetite, cornubite, cornwallite, euchroite, lammerite, lavendulan, lemanskiite, libethenite, liroconite, ludjibaite, luetheite, mixite, nissonite, olivenite, parnauite, philipsburgite, pseudomalachite, richelsdorfite, sampleite, strashimirite, tyrolite, vesignieite, veszelyite, and volborthite are on my copper minerals page.

Arsendescloizite, arsentsumebite, bayldonite, brackebushite, carminite, cechite, descloizite, duftite, embreyite, endlichite, fornacite, heliophyllite, heyite, hidalgoite, kintoreite, krettnichite, mimetite, mottramite, nealite, plumbogummite, pottsite, pyromorphite, segnitite, thometzekite, tsumcorite, and vanadinite are on my lead minerals page.

Adamite, aluminoadamite, cobaltoadamite, cuproadamite, nickeloadamite, koritnigite, kottigite, legrandite, leiteite, phosphophyllite, scholzite, tarbuttite, and theisite are on my zinc minerals page.

Phosphate Info
Usually where one phosphate occurs, there are many secondary phosphates with it. A systematic phosphates collection also includes arsenates, antimonates, vanadates, phosphovanadates, uranyl molybdates, uranyl phosphates, and uranates.
Specimens on This Page
(links take you to either the first or only specimen)

127 Rows

Adelite

A miniature of pale-yellow adelite (calcium magnesium hydroxy(ortho)arsenate) on matrix from the Jakobsberg Mine, Jakobsberg ore field, Nordmark district, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden. It forms a series with gottlobite where vanadate replaces some of the arsenate.

Thanks to Sönke Stolze's Systematic-Minerals.com auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Afmite

An excellent micro of off-white tabular rosettes of afmite (a hydrated aluminum hydroxyphosphate) on matrix from the type locality of the Phosphate occurrence, Fumade, Castelnau-de-Brassac, Tarn, Midi-Pyrénées, France

Thanks to Csanad Loranth's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Aheylite

A micro of pale grayish-blue aheylite (a hydrated aluminum iron zinc hydroxyphosphate) spheroids on a sulfide matrix from the type locality of the Huanuni (tin) mine, Minaflores Mountain, Huanuni, Dalence Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia. It's the ferroan analog of turquoise (and a member of the turquiose group).

Thanks to Csanad Loranth's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 2

Allanpringite

An excellent spray of red-brown allanpringite (a hydrated iron hydroxyphosphate) on matrix (larger image, right) from the type and only locality of the Mark Mine, Essershausen, Weilburg, Wetzlar, Hesse, Germany. It's the monoclinic ferric analog of orthorhombic wavellite.

Thanks to Paolo Bracci's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Alvanite

A rich micro of sea-green alvanite (a hydrated aluminum zinc nickel hydroxyvanadate) rosettes on vanadian black shale from the type locality of the Kurumsak V Deposit, Aksumbe, Karatau Range, Southern Kazakhstan Province, Kazakhstan.

Thanks to Pavel Kartasov's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Amblygonite

A thumbnail of gemmy light-yellow amblygonite (lithium sodium aluminum fluorohydroxyphosphate) - this cuttable piece comes from Galiléia, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It forms two series; one with montebrasite, its hydroxyfluorophosphate analog, and one with natramblygonite where sodium predominates over lithium.

Thanks to Robert Stoufer's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 3

Anapaite

This miniature of anapaite (a calcium iron phosphate tetrahydrate) on ironstone from Kertch (1988) on the Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine is a typical green iron mineral - what looks like needles are actually the top surfaces of vertically-oriented blades. It's named after Anapa, also in Russia and often occurs on fossil shells, which probably supplied the calcium.

Thanks to Dave Hayward at Lucky Strike Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Angastonite

Snow-white coatings of angastonite (a hydrated aluminum calcium magnesium hydroxyphosphate) on a dark matrix comprise this micro from the type locality of the Penrice marble quarry, Angaston, Barossa Valley, North Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia, Australia.

Thanks to Helmut Braith's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Annabergite

Annabergite (nickel (II) arsenate octahydrate) forms a complete series with erythrite. When there's more nickel than cobalt, green annabergite is formed - this thumbnail's from Laurion, Greece. Usually annabergite occurs as a dusty coating or fine tabular crystals; spheric aggregates like this are rare. Annabergite, or "nickel bloom", is used as a marker for nickel deposits. It's the arsenate analog of arupite.

Thanks to Adam Larson at Adam's Mineralsfor the specimen!

Row 4

Annabergite,
var. Cabrerite

Bright green oriented tabular gemmy crystals of cabrerite (the magnesian variety of annabergite) comprise this thumbnail, also from Laurion. The larger image (center, right) also shows a beautiful white rosette with cabrerite "leaves"!

Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Apatite

Beautiful green apatites, calcium (fluoro, chloro, hydroxyl) phosphate, on a cluster of green muscovite from Lavra Aldeia do Eme, Brazil. The mineral is more correctly called flurorapatite, chloroapatite, or hydroxyapatite depending on which of the three cations predominate - because a precise chemical analysis is needed, the mineral is usually just named apatite. Most apatite is flurorapatite.

Thanks to Greg Holland at the Stone Haven Mineral Shoppe for the specimen and the image!

Apatite on
Galena

This is a beautiful specimen of fluorapatite on galena from the Julcani Mine, Huancavelica Department, Peru. The bright fluorescence is also very interesting - zonal with light orange mid-crystal and light blue on the terminations!

Thanks to IC Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Row 5

Apatite

Apatite can be used as jewelry although its softness precludes any use other than earrings or necklaces. These are heavily fractured so they wouldn't be cut anyway (except for the one on the right - there's probably one or two carat's worth in that one). Because of its high phosphorus content, apatite is often ground up for fertilizer. These are from Mexico - I have a bunch of them; these are the best two.

Apatite

A very pale violet apatite from the MacKenzie Mountains, near Tungsten, Northwest Territory, Canada.

Thanks to Doug Miller at Northern Lights Minerals for the specimen!

Apatite

A beautiful one-inch long doubly-terminated blue apatite, probably from Brazil - the closeup shows one of the many blue internal reflections.

Thanks to Chris Korpi at Pangaea Minerals for the specimen!

Row 6

Apatite

Another green apatite (twinned) on orange calcite from Monmouth Township, Wilberforce, Ontario, Canada.

Thanks to Rory Howell's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Apatite

A beautiful green apatite on orange calcite with black hornblende from the Yates Mine, Otter Lake, Pontiac County, Quebec, Canada.

Thanks to Veronica Matthews's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Apatite

This is a deep blue apatite from Ipira, Bahia, Brazil.

Thanks to Greg Meyers' (Greg's Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 7

Apatite

A section of a dark green apatite crystal from Lake Clear - Kuehl Lake area, Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada.

Thanks to Allan Vesely's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Apatite

A beautiful big teal apatite with two different habits (and colors) of calcite from Sludyanka, Baikal Lake, Russia.

Thanks to Rick & Deana Seng's auction on eBay for the specimen and images!

Apatite

Deep blue granular apatite like this only occurs in two locations - Otter Creek, Quebec, Canada, and Fine, St. Lawrence County, New York. The white phosphorescence tells me it's the New York variety. The closeups show the brilliant blue translucence of this gorgeous specimen!

Thanks to Douglas Davis' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 8

Apatite

Massive, partially worked apatite from Brazil. The closeup shows one of the gemmy portions.

Apatite

This nicely-terminated large miniature of red apatite is from the Yates Mine, Otter Lake, Huddersfield Township, Pontiac County, Québec, Canada.

Thanks to Eric & Susan Youngman's Soul2Shine auction on eBay for the specimen!

Apatite

Sometimes apatite has fibrous inclusions, like this cabinet catseye apatite from Bahia, Brazil.

Thanks to Rob Kulakofsky at the Arizona Mineral Company for the specimen!

Row 9

Apatite

A gorgeous pink apatite thumbnail from the 2002 find at the La Marina emerald mine, Borbur, Boyaca Department, Colombia.

Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Apatite

A pretty miniature of translucent blue-green apatite from Sludyanka, Baikal Lake, Russia.

Apatite on
Hydroxylherderite

Dozens of tiny double-terminated pale green apatites on a hydroxylherderite matrix comprise this beautiful miniature from Linópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Thanks to Joanne Dionne's (The Mineral Mall) auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 10

Apatite

A gemmy light-yellow apatite thumbnail from the Cerro Mercado Mine, Durango, Mexico.

Thanks to the North Star Minerals' table at the 2002 Carnegie Gem & Mineral Show for the specimen!

Apatite

An old Canadian 9cm classic apatite from the John Byland collection.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Apatite

The Harvard Mine located on Noyes Mountain in Greenwood, Oxford County, Maine is famous for its purple apatites. This thumbnail, collected in February 2004, is as deep a purple as apatites get!

Thanks to James K. Andersen's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 11

Apatite

A large cabinet specimen of deep-blue apatite on matrix from Bahia, Brazil - the main crystal is 4.7 x 2.4 cm.

Thanks to Lourenço Santos' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Apatite

Rare colorless apatite crystal with gemmy epidote (larger image, top, right) on byssolite (miniature) from Knappenwand, Austria.

Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Apatite

This beautiful, tiny, gemmy light-blue apatite crystal is from the Fall 2004 find near Le U Village, Mogok, Myanmar.

Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Row 12

Apatite

Beautiful rare tiny red (fluoro)apatite crystals in a miniature quartz and spodumene matrix from the Foote Mine in Cleveland County, North Carolina.

Thanks to David Notaro's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Apatite

A beautiful 24mm pale green (fluoro)apatite crystal from the Sceptre Claims, Emerald Lake, Mayo Mining District, Yukon Territory, Canada.

Thanks to Rick Kennedy's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Apatite

A beautiful 15mm x 3mm deep-green apatite crystal with a transparent rim on matrix from the 2007 find at the Sapo Mine, Goiabeira, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It fluoresces a light-orange under shortwave UV (due to a trace amount of manganese).

Thanks to Michael Shannon's Shannon & Sons Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and images!

Row 13

Apatite

From the 2006 find at Bonan, Warsak, Mohmand Agency, FATA, Pakistan comes this beautiful 2cm pale-green transparent tabular apatite crystal included by actinolite.

Thanks to Marta Debowska's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Apatite

A beautiful miniature of gemmy pale-blue apatites with muscovite on matrix from the Assunção Mine, Aldeia Nova, Ferreira de Aves, Sátão, Viseu District, Portugal.

Thanks to Stefano Broetto's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Apatite

A sharp gemmy (though too heavily fractured internally to facet) pale-green apatite crystal from Imilchil, Er Rachidia Province, Meknes-Tafilalet Region, Morocco.

Thanks to Ben Kuehling's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 14

Apatite

A miniature of a sharp pale-green apatite crystal on matrix from the Mid Atlas Mtn, Atlas Mtn, Morocco.

Thanks to Elena van Scriver's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Apatite, var.
Asparagus Stone

This is the yellow-green variety of apatite known as asparagus stone - this beautiful miniature's from Durango, Mexico. As is often the case with photos, the real color is in between my pictures and Bill's. The apatite has the full complement of second-order prisms as well!

Thanks to Bill Awald's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Apatite, var.
Mn-bearing Apatite

At the other end of the purple intensity scale lies these beautiful pale lavender tabular apatites from Pakistan. This is the variety called manganian apatite - a tiny amount of Mn+3 creates the color and makes them highly fluorescent (golden yellow) under longwave UV (larger image, bottom right). There are also tiny colorless (non-fluorescing) prismatic apatites (larger image, bottom left) scattered on the albite (miniature) matrix.

Thanks to Tony Laurano's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 15

Apatite, var.
Mn-bearing Apatite

As with my previous manganian apatite at left, this apatite also includes a tiny amount of manganese - this time, it's the Mn+5 ion and that makes it a deep blue. This 13mm crystal is from Ipira, Brazil - my other Ipiran blue apatite is probably manganian as well.

There's one other color that manganese imparts to apatites - Mn+2 with a little iron makes a distinctive green apatite.

Thanks to Alexander Falster's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Arrojadite-(BaFe)

A small-cabinet specimen of massive brown arrojadite-(BaFe) from the Tip Top pegmatite, Fourmile, Custer County, South Dakota. I don't know what the dark-green veins are.

Thanks to Philip Persson's (Persson Rare Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Arrojadite-(KFe)

A high-contrast miniature of dark brownish-green arrojadite (a complex iron aluminum sodium calcium potassium hydroxyphosphate) and pale beige collinsite crystals on matrix from the Big Fish River area, Yukon Territory, Canada. Arrojadite is now a group name comprising a dozen or so minerals - the (KFe) arrojadite is the one found at Big Fish.

Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 16

Arseniosiderite

This arseniosiderite (iron calcium oxyarsenate trihydrate) thumbnail comes from Gold Hill, Tooele County, Utah. It forms an incomplete series with mitridatite (calcium iron oxyphosphate) and robertsite (calcium manganese oxyphosphate).

Thanks to Adam Larson's (Adam's Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen!

Arsenogorceixite, var.
Cuprian Arsenogorceixite

An excellent miniature of sphericular greenish-blue arsenogorceixite (a barium aluminum hydroxyarsenate) on matrix from the type locality of the Clara Mine, Rankach valley, Oberwolfach, Wolfach, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This may be the cuprian variety - arsenogorceixite is more typically white to yellow. It may form a series with weilerite where sulfate replaces part of the arsenate cation though some references consider weilerite to be merely a synonym. Also, the formula for arsenogorceixite varies among references - I count at least three.

Thanks to Sönke Stolze's Systematic-Minerals.com auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Atelestite

A miniature of tiny pale-yellow atelestite (bismuth oxyhydroxyarsenate) crystal aggregates with green mixite from the Schmiedestollen dump, Wittichen, Schenkenzell, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Ex: Phillips Collection with a Diederik Visser Minerals dealer tag dated 7/04. The atelestite group minerals also includes hechtsbergite and smrkovecite, the vanadate and phosphate analogs.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Row 17

Atencioite

A rich micro of tan botryoidal atencionite (a hydrated iron calcium magnesium beryllium hydroxyphosphate) coating matrix from the type locality of Linopolis, Divino das Laranjeiras, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Ex: Gunnar Farber Collection with a Mineral Zone dealer tag. Some analyses show trace manganese and aluminum. It's isostructural with footemineite and is a member of the roscherite group.

Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Attakolite

A rich small miniature of light-pink attakolite (a complex aluminum manganese calcium strontium silicophosphate) grains in a hematite quartz talc schist from the type locality of the Västanå Iron Mine, Näsum, Bromölla, Skåne, Sweden. Ex: Ralph E. Merrill (Minerals Unlimited) Collection, who purchased it from the Cureton Mineral Company in 1977.

Thanks to Micah Cline's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Augelite

A thumbnail of pale green augelite (an aluminum hydroxyphosphate) from Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada. It's named from the Greek auge, brightness.

Thanks to Doug Miller at Northern Lights Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Row 18

Augelite

Another augelite from Rapid Creek - this large miniature has the typical association of lazulite and siderite.

Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Bakhchisaraitsevite

Yellow-brown crystals of bakhchisaraitsevite (magnesium sodium phosphate heptahydrate) on matrix from the type locality of the Kovdor Iron Mine, Kovdor massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Barbosalite

An excellent miniature of deep-green barbosalite (ferrosoferric hydroxyphosphate) on quartz from the Bull Moose Mine, Custer County, South Dakota. It's the iron (II) analog of hentschelite and is dimorphic with lipscombite.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 19

Baricite

A beautiful small miniature of blue baricite (a hydrated magnesium iron phosphate) in matrix from the type locality of Rapid Creek, Dawson Mining District, Yukon, Canada.

Bariopharmacosiderite

A thumbnail of reddish-brown bariopharmacosiderite (a hydrated iron barium hydroxyarsenate) coating a primarily arsenopyrite matrix from the Gold Hill Mine, Gold Hill, Deep Creek Mts, Tooele County, Utah. Ex: Gary Grenier Collection.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and images!

Bariopharmacosiderite

A nice micro of yellow-brown cubic crystals of bariopharmacosiderite on a white quartz-barite matrix from the type locality of the Clara Mine, Rankach valley, Oberwolfach, Wolfach, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Thanks to Csanad Loranth's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 20

Barnesite

A miniature of deep-red barnesite (a sodium calcium metavanadate trihydate) with red-brown metahewettite (with which it forms an incomplete series) and dark-brown hewettite on matrix from the type locality of the Cactus Rat Mine, Yellow Cat District, Grand County, Utah.

Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Bermanite

Bermanite's a fairly rare manganosomanganic hydroxyphosphate tetrahydrate that occurs here as a transparent deep orange to deep red coating on matrix - one closeup (bottom left) shows a druse of tiny brownish-red crystals while another (bottom right) shows the intense color of the more massive deposit (just below center there's a bright orangey-brown internal flash). This high-quality (for the specie) specimen is from the El Criollo Mine, Cerro Blanco Pegmatites, Tanti, Cordoba, Argentina.

Thanks to Eduardo Jawerbaum's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Beryllonite with
Apatite

These twinned frosty crystals of rare beryllonite (sodium beryllium phosphate) have green apatites riding on them in this thumbnail from the Telirio Mine, Linopolis, Divino das Laranjeiras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen!

Row 21

Belovite-(Ce)

A good micro of a 2mm yellowish-pink belovite-(Ce) - a cerium strontium fluorophosphate - crystal in a ussingite matrix from somewhere on the Lovozero Massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia. Ex: Vasek Polak Collection. It's the cerium analogue of belovite-(La), the strontium analog of kuannersuite-(Ce), and a member of the apatite group.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Bergslagite

Grayish-white veins of bergslagite (a calcium beryllium hydroxyarsenate or calcium berylloarsenate) alomg with tilasite and svabite in matrix comprise this micro from the type locality of Långban, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden.

Thanks to Csanad Loranth's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Berzeliite

This small thumbnail of yellow berzeliite (a calcium magnesium manganese sodium arsenate) on bright orange-red phosphorescing calcite is from the type locality of the famous Langban Mine, Filipstad, Varmland, Sweden. The calcites from here are noted for their brilliance. Berzeliite forms a series with manganberzeliite.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Row 22

Betpakdalite

After a redefinition in 2010, this member of the betpakdalite group is now called betpakdalite-CaCa (a complex hydrated calcium iron molybdoarsenate). It forms a yellow coating on quartz in this large micro from Sadisdorf, Schmiedeberg, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany.

Thanks to Csanad Loranth's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Bjarebyite

Bluish-green bjarebyite (a barium iron manganese aluminum strontium magnesium hydroxyphosphate) and other phosphates from the type locality of the Palermo #1 pegmatite, North Groton, New Hampshire. Some references drop the iron, strontium, and magnesium from the formula.

Thanks to Alexander Falster's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Bobdownsite

A small-cabinet specimen of colorless tabular bobdownsite (a calcium magnesium fluorophosphate) crystal sections with collinsite, quartz, kulanite, and arrojadite in matrix from the type locality of the Big Fish River, Dawson Mining District, Yukon Territory, Canada. It's the fluorine-dominant analog of whitlockite and the first natural phosphate to contain a P—F bond.

Thanks to Doug Wilson's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 23

Bobierrite

A nice miniature of translucent pale-blue bobierrite (magnesium orthophosphate octahydrate) crystals on matrix from the Kovdor Iron Mine, Kovdor Massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia. Synthetic bobierrite is used in toothpaste.

Thanks to the Fersman Mineralogical Institute's table at the 2005 Carnegie Gem & Mineral Show for the specimen!

Bokite

Tiny black specks of bokite (a hydrated iron aluminum vanadate) on a thumbnail matrix from the Union Carbide Christy vanadium mine, Potash Sulfur Springs, Garland County, Arkansas and is Ex: J. M. Howard Collection (1994). You'll see different formulas for this mineral too - it's technically a mixed oxide of V (IV), V (V), (a typical vanadium bronze) and Fe (III).

Thanks to Ben Clardy's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Brandtite
on
Caryopilite

A busy miniature of white fibrous brandite (a calcium manganese magnesium arsenate dihydrate) on a pinkish-tan caryopilite (a complex manganese zinc phyllosilicate) crystal fragment on an iron-manganese matrix from the famous Långban,Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden. There may also be some brownish-black caryinite (a complex manganese lead arsenate), (larger image, bottom right) for which Långban is the type locality. Brandtite is dimorphic with parabrandtite.

Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 24

Brassite &
Rosslerite

At this location, its type locality Jachymov, Krusne Hory Mts, Karlovy Vary Region, Bohemia, Czech Republic, white crusty brassite (magnesium biarsenate tetrahydrate) occurs as a dehydration product coating rosslerite (the heptahydrate) on this thumbnail.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Brendelite

A micro of brownish-black brendelite (a bismuth lead ferrosoferric oxyhydroxyphosphate) with white bismutite on matrix from the type locality of the Güldener Falk Mine, Neustädtel, Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany

Thanks to Kristen Burgess' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Brushite

A nice micro of a pale-blue spheroid of brushite (hydrated calcium acid phosphate) in matrix from Bruguers, Gavà, Baix Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It's the phosphate analog of pharmacolite. Brushite-based cements are biocompatible and can be resorbed. It also occurs in roughly 25% of patients who have kidney stones.

Thanks to Paolo Bracci's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 25

Bukovskyite

A large thumbnail of beige microclusters of bukovskyite (a hydrated iron hydroxysulfatoarsenate) from the type locality of Kank, Kutna Hora, Bohemia, Czech Republic. It's typically an oxidation product of arsenopyrite.

Thanks to Ingo Drescher's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Bulachite

A micro of white fibrous bulachite (a hydrated aluminum hydroxyarsenate) on matrix from Sa Malesa, Sarroch, Cagliari Province, Sardinia, Italy. It has a Tony Jones dealer tag.

Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Burangaite

A dark-blue rough crystal of burangaite (a hydrated aluminum iron sodium hydroxyphosphate) on matrix comprises this micro from the type locality of the Buranga pegmatite, Gatumba District, Western Province, Rwanda. It forms a complete series with matioliite where magnesium replaces the iron. Also, calcium may replace some of the sodium and magnesium may replace some of the iron.

Thanks to Dr. Victoria Borner's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 26

Cabalzarite

An excellent miniature of tan cabalzarite (a hydrated calcium aluminum magnesium manganese hydroxyarsenate) on matrix from the type locality of the abandoned Falotta Mine, Tinizong, Oberhalbstein, Albula Valley, Grischun, Switzerland.

Thanks to Helmut Braith's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Cacoxenite

Bright yellow cacoxenite (a hydrated iron aluminum oxyhydroxyphosphate) from the Leveäniemi Iron Mine, Svappavaara, Kiruna, Lappland, Sweden.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Cacoxenite

Beautiful tufts and stars of cacoxenite line the vugs and valleys of this miniature - unfortunately I don't have any location info for this one.

Thanks to Bill Awald's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 27

Cacoxenite

An excellent miniature of bright yellow cacoxenite on matrix from Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Thanks to Jonathan Levinger's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Cacoxenite

Two miniatures (and an unpictured micro) of bright yellow cacoxenite, probably from Arkansas and part of a 30-year-old collection.

Thanks to Dale Stillman's auction on eBay for the specimens and the images!

Cafarsite

A sharp and shiny 7mm crystal of cafarsite (a hydrated calcium ferrosoferric titanium manganese metarsenite) from the type locality of Wannigletscher, Wallis, Switzerland.

Thanks to Alexander Falster's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 28

Calcioferrite

An excellent micro of very-pale-yellow sprays of calcioferrite (a hydrated iron calcium hydroxyphosphate) from Silbergrube, Waidhaus, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany. Some of the iron can be replaced by aluminum, which may account for the lack of color here. Calcioferrite's a member of the montgomeryite group.

Thanks to Csanad Loranth's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Carbonate-fluorapatite
var. Holmbushite

When carbonate-fluorapatite occurs as tiny acicular white and orange crystals, it's called "holmbushite". This excellent beautiful miniature of holmbushite comes from the varietal type locality of the Holmbush Mine, Callington United Mines, Stoke Climsland, Callington District, Cornwall, England. Carbonate-fluoroapatite is now (as of 2008) considered a variety of carbonate-rich fluorapatite.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Carbonate-fluorapatite
var. Staffelite

The botryoidal habit of carbonate-fluorapatite is often called "staffelite" after its type locality in Germany. This small cabinet piece comes from the Kovdor Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja Oblast', Russia.

Thanks to Mirek Dorejko's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 29

Carbonate-hydroxylapatite

As mentioned in my first apatite entry above, most apatites are not analyzed - this small cabinet specimen of rare carbonate-hydroxylapatite was collected in 1987 from the 156' level of the North Shaft of the Palermo #1 Mine, Groton, Grafton County, New Hampshire by Eric Greene. Carbonate-hydroxylapatite is now (as of 2008) considered a variety of carbonate-rich hydroxylapatite.

Thanks to Eric Greene's (Treasure Mountain Mining) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Carbonate-hydroxylapatite,
var. Dahllite

Carbonate-hydroxylapatite occuring in radiating clusters from the Lovell area in Big Horn County, Wyoming (and elsewhere) is called dahllite. Some references state that it contains varying amounts of water.

Thanks to Dale Stillman's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Caryinite

A miniature of reddish-brown caryinite (a manganese lead calcium sodium magnesium phosphatoarsenate) in matrix from the type locality of Långban, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden.

Thanks to Sönke Stolze's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 30

Ceruleite

Massive ceruleite in matrix from the type locality of the Emma Luisa Mine, Guanaco, Taltal, Chile, can be cabbed for jewelry - this aluminum copper hydroarsenate miniature is a beautiful distinctive blue. The larger image shows an unidentified bluish-green mineral in a small vug and a smaller ceruleite-filled "sandwich".

Thanks to the House of Onyx for the specimens!

Chalcosiderite

Another member of the turquoise family, chalcosiderite (a hydrated iron copper hydroxyphosphate) occurs (as in this large thumbnail from the Wheal Phoenix, Cornwall, England) when iron replaces the aluminum. The color can vary from midnight blue (as here) to dark green.

Thanks to Chris Korpi at Pangaea Minerals for the specimen!

Chalcosiderite, var.
Alumo-chalcosiderite

A thumbnail of light-greenish aluminian chalcosiderite on a mainly quartz matrix from the Schneckenstein cliff, Kielberg, Klingenthal, Vogtland, Saxony, Germany. Ex: Volkwein Collection, #A4-13.

Thanks to Dieter Obrecht's The NetMine auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 31

Chernovite-(Y)

A micro of a 0.1mm light-orange chernovite-(Y) crystal (yttrium orthoarsenate) on matrix from the Beryllium Virgin claim, Paramount Canyon, Sierra County, New Mexico. Chernovite-(Y) forms a complete series with xenotime-(Y), its phosphate analog.

Thanks to Chris Stefano's Christopher J. Stefano Fine Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Childrenite

A nicely-terminated childrenite (a hydrated iron aluminum hydroxyphosphate) crystal from Linopolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It forms a complete series with eosphorite where manganese replaces the iron.

Thanks to Jeff Schlot at Crystal Perfection for the specimen!

Childrenite

An excellent large miniature of tiny brown childrenite crystals on matric from Crinnis Cliff, Carlyon Bay, Carlyon, St Austell District, Cornwall, England. Ex: Jessica Nicholson Collection.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Row 32

Churchite

A nice miniature of white churchite (yttrium phosphate dihydrate) tufts lining vugs in a limonitic gossan matrix from Auerbach, Oberpfalz, Bavaria, Germany.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Clinobisvanite

Clinobisvanite's a rare monoclinic bismuth vanadate (hence the name) that occurs in yellow crusts - it's also a trimorph with (tetragonal) dreyerite and (orthorhombic) pucherite (which also have different colors). The dark orange material here may be pucherite - there's also what appears to be barite (larger picture, bottom left) and a couple of dark brown cubes (larger picture, bottom right) with a red streak that I can't identify on the mica pegmatite. This cabinet specimen comes from La Juana Mine, between Yacanto and la Poblacion, San Javier Department, Cordoba Province, Argentina.

Thanks to Chris Korpi at Pangaea Minerals for the specimen!

Cobaltlotharmeyerite

An excellent miniature of brown cobaltlotharmeyerite (a complex cobalt calcium iron nickel arsenate) on matrix from the type locality of the Roter Berg District, Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany. It's the cobalt-dominant member of the lotharmeyerite subgroup in the tsumcorite group.

Thanks to Sönke Stolze's Systematic-Minerals.com auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 33

Coeruleolactite

When calcium starts to replace the copper in turquoise, the color shifts to pure (light) blue and becomes coeruleolactite. This miniature's from Peru. Some references consider coeruleolactite to be a mixture of crandallite and cuprian planerite.

Thanks to Wright's Rock Shop's table at the 2000 Carnegie Gem & Mineral Show for the specimen!

Collinsite

A rich coating of pale green collinsite (a calcium magnesium iron phosphate dihydrate) on a small cabinet matrix from the Rapid Creek area, Yukon, Canada. Collinsite is the magnesium-rich analog of manganese-rich fairfieldite.

Thanks to Darrel Merke's (Proton Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Collinsite

Decades before the crystalline collinsite was found at Rapid Creek, collinsite occured here (at the type locality, Francois Lake, British Columbia, Canada) as dark brown bands of massive material along with probable tan apatite, light-brown quercyite (a poorly-known calcium phosphate, for which this is also the type locality), and black asphaltum. This small cabinet piece is Ex: A. L. Kidwell Collection and Ward's Scientific 1957.

Thanks to Richard Dale at Dale Minerals International for the specimen and the images!

Row 34

Crandallite

Crandallite (calcium aluminum hydroxyphosphate) and othe related phosphates comprise the interior of this nodule from Clay Canyon, near Fairfield, Utah County, Utah.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Curetonite

A thumbnail of a 2mm light-green crystal of curetonite (a barium aluminum titanium hydroxyphosphate) on matrix from the type and only locality of the Redhouse Barite Mine, near Golconda in the Potosi District, Humboldt County, Nevada. Ex: Cureton Collection with a signed Cureton label.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Cyrilovite

Yellow-brown cyrilovite (an iron (III) sodium hydroxyphosphate dihydrate) encrusts the iron ore matrix of this thumbnail from Hagendorf-South pegmatite, Waidhaus, Vohenstraus, Oberpfalz, Bavaria, Germany. It forms an incomplete series with wardite, where aluminum replaces the iron.

Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 35

Cyrilovite

This small miniature of submillimeter botryoidal cyrilovite on matrix comes from the Endeavour 26 mine dumps at North-Parkes, in northwestern NSW, Australia.

Thanks to Hans Mylius' auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Delvauxite

Chalky tan delvauxite (a hydrated iron calcium hydroxysulfatophosphate) on a small cabinet matrix from the type locality of Berneau, Vise, Liege, Belgium.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Diadochite

A small cabinet specimen of beige diadochite (a hydrated iron hydroxysulfatophosphate) on matrix from the co-type locality of Richelle, Vise, Liege, Belgium. It's the phosphate analog of sarmientite. This specimen has a destinezite label - destinezite should only apply to the crystalline (triclinic) habit of diadochite.

Thanks to Alexander Falster's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 36

Dickthomssenite

A large thumbnail of colorless to paste shades of dickthomssenite (magnesium metavanadate heptahydrate) on sandstone from the Vanadium Queen mine, near La Sal, San Juan County, Utah.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Durangite

A durangite (sodium aluminum fluoarsenate) druse on a thumbnail matrix from the Thomas Range, Juab County, Utah. It forms two complete series; one with maxwellite, where iron replaces the aluminum, and one with tilasite, where calcium and magnesium replace the sodium and aluminum respectively. It's also the arsenate analog of lacroixite.

Thanks to Walter Mroch's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Dussertite

Dussertite's a barium iron hydroxyarsenate member of the crandallite group - this thumbnail is from the type locality of Djebel Debar, Hamman, Meskhootine, Constantine, Algeria via the French School of Mines.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Row 37

Eosphorite

Very sharp crystals of orange eosphorite on a matrix of bladed muscovite from Taquaral, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Eosphorite is the manganese-rich end of the eosphorite - childrenite (iron-rich) series.

Thanks to IC Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Eosphorite

A single crystal of eosphorite from Linopolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Ernstite

Dark-brown radial sprays of ernstite (an iron manganese aluminum hydroxyoxophosphate) frozen in a matrix from the La Viquita Mine, Chacabuco Department, San Luis Province, Argentina. Ernstite is an oxidation product of eosphorite so the matrix here may be a weathered chunk of eosphorite.

Thanks to George Stevens' auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 38

Erythrite

Very nice flat radiating clusters of erythrite (hydrated cobalt arsenate) from the Sara Alicia Mine, Mun. de Alamos, San Bernardo, Sonora, Mexico. Erythrite forms two complete series, one with annabergite and the other with hörnesite.

Thanks to Dan Wienrich at Dan & Jill Weinrich for the specimen and the image!

Erythrite

A nice thumbnail of erythrite on matrix from Bou Azzer, Morocco. The Moroccan erythrite crystals a much more prismatic (and gemmy) than the Mexican.

Thanks to Graeber & Himes' table at the 2001 Carnegie Gem & Mineral Show for the specimen!

Erythrite

A small cabinet piece of erythrite on cobaltite from Bou Azzer, Morocco.

Thanks to Treasures of the Earth's table at the 2001 Carnegie Gem & Mineral Show for the specimen!

Row 39

Erythrite

One more miniature erythrite from Morocco.

Thanks to Ken DeMary's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Erythrite,
Conichalcite,
and Smolyaninovite

An unusual combination of arsenates (and colors) - rose erythrite, green conichalcite, and yellow-brown smolyaninovite (a complex iron cobalt nickel arsenate) - on matrix from Mina Encontrada, Molvizar, Granada, Andalusia, Spain.

Thanks to Jon Gladwell's (Myrddin Emrys Limited) auction on eBay for the specimen and images!

Fairfieldite

A cluster and a half of fairfieldite (a calcium manganese iron phosphate dihydrate) on holmquistite from Gaston County, North Carolina. I decreased the gamma on both pictures to improve the contrast. Fairfieldite's the manganese-rich analog of iron-rich messelite and of magnesium-rich collinsite.

Thanks to Ken DeMary's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 40

Fairfieldite
on
Carbonate-fluorapatite

An excellent miniature of white radial fairfieldite on a botryoidal layer of carbonate-fluorapatite from the LCA Mine, Bessemer City, Gaston County, North Carolina.

Thanks to Dmitry Efremov's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Fermorite

Fermorite is a strontium calcium hydroxyphosphatoarsenate (a member of the apatite group) - this pink thumbnail comes from the type locality of Sitapur, Chindwara, India. It's named after L.L. Fermor of the Geological Survey of India.

Thanks to Thomas Bee's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Fernandinite
on
Corvusite

The dark-green fernandinite (a hydrated calcium sodium potassium vanadate) fibers are almost impossible to see (in my poor photo) against the black corvusite (a hydrated sodium calcium potassium vanadate) matrix in this thumbnail from the type locality for corvusite, the Uravan District, Montrose County, Colorado. The larger image shows a second thumbnail. Ex: David Shannon collection (Aug 1990). Corvusite and fernandinite form an incomplete series with sodium or calcium predominating. Also, because vanadium has two valences in these two minerals, V (III) and V (V), they should rightly be called mixed oxides instead of vanadates. There are many formulas for these two minerals - some of them include a small amount of ferrous iron.

Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 41

Ferrisicklerite

A cleavage fragment of ferrisicklerite from the Buzzos Mine, Center Strafford, Stafford County, New Hampshire. It forms a series with sicklerite (manganese-rich lithium phosphate; ferrisicklerite being the other, iron-rich member).

Thanks to Chris Wong's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Ferrostrunzite

An excellent miniature of ferrostrunzite on matrix from Blaton, Hainaut Province, Belgium. The specimen label says ferrostrunzite - according to the MinDat database, ferrostrunzite doesn't occur there. Ferristrunzite does, in fact, this is the type locality for ferristrunzite.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Fianelite

Essentially a micro of massive red-orange fianelite (a hydrated manganese arsenopyrovanadate) from the type locality of the Fianel Mine, Ausserferrera, Ferrera Valley, Hinterrhein Valley, Grischun, Switzerland.

Thanks to Helmut Braith's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 42

Fluellite

Here's an excellent thumbnail of bright white druse of fluellite, a hydrated aluminum hydroxyfluorophosphate, on matrix from the famous Willard Mine, Lovelock, Pershing County, Nevada.

Thanks to Rick Kennedy's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Fluorcaphite

An excellent miniature of pale-green fluorcaphite on matrix from the type locality of the Koashva Open Pit, Koashva Mt, Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja, Russia.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Foggite

An excellent miniature of white massive foggite (a hydrated calcium aluminum hydroxyphosphate) surrounding green variscite from the Milgun Variscite Mine, 15 mi. NW of Milgun Station, Meekatharra Shire, Western Australia, Australia. It has an AMNH tag (larger image, right).

Thanks to Lawrence H. Conklin's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 43

Footemineite

A capsule of light-yellow extremely rare footemineite (a hydrated manganese calcium beryllium hydroxyphosphate) on white albite with milarite and rhodochrosite from the type locality of the Foote Mine, Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, North Carolina. It's the triclinic dimorph of roscherite and is isostructural with atencoite.

Thanks to Hans Borner's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Forbesite

Considered by most authorities today to be a mixture of cobaltoan annabergite and arsenolite (or a variety of erythrite), this old Mexican (probably from Batopilas, Sonora) small cabinet specimen consists of fibrous-looking tabular off-white forbesite crystals (larger image, bottom right) on matrix. Dana describes forbesite as being derived from chloanthite (nickel arsenide) with a formula of (Co,Ni)2H(2AsO4)2·8H2O.

Thanks to Bob Devine's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Frondelite

Radiating fans of reddish-brown frondelite (an iron manganese hydroxyphosphate) on matrix comprise this miniature from the type locality of the Sapucaia Mine, Galileia, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It has a Carousel Gems & Minerals (Hatboro, PA) tag. Frondelite forms a series with rockbridgeite, where ferrous iron replaces the manganese, and it's also the manganese analog of plimerite.

Thanks to Lawrence H. Conklin's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 44

Gatumbaite

A miniature of a pinkish-tan 3mm gatumbaite (a hydrated aluminum calcium hydroxyphosphate) grain in a phosphate matrix from the Boqueirao$nbsp;pegmatite, Parelhas, Rio Grande do Norte, BrazilEx: J. Hoppner Collection #11663.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Gormanite

This is an excellent midnight-green drusy gormanite (a hydrated iron aluminum hydroxide phosphate) miniature from the type locality of the Rapid Creek area, Yukon, Canada. It forms a series with souzalite, where magnesium replaces most of the ferrous iron and ferric iron replaces most of the aluminum - gormanite is often shown with magnesium in its formula.

Thanks to Vince Olsovsky's (KBV Fossils & Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen!

Gormanite

A beautiful cluster of five gormanite needle clusters from Linópolis, Divino das Laranjeiras, Minas Gerais, Brazil!

Thanks to Ricky Houck's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 45

Gormanite

Another besutiful miniature cluster of gormanite, again from Linópolis.

Thanks to Antonio Carlos Chagas Ramos at Brazilian Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Goyazite

A very nice miniature of numerous translucent grey pseudocubic crystals of goyazite (a hydrated strontium aluminum hydroxyphosphate) at one end of the matrix. The largest of the goyazite crystals is 3 mm. The specimen is from the famous phosphate location of Rapid Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada.

Thanks to Darrel Merke's (Proton Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Graftonite

A piece of massive graftonite (a manganese iron calcium phosphate, hence the color) - named for its type locality, Grafton County, New Hampshire. It's the calcium end member of a series with sarcopside (magnesium replacing the calcium) at the other end with beusite in the middle.

Row 46

Greifensteinite
on
Gormanite

Very rare light tan greifensteinite (a hydrated iron calcium manganese beryllium hydroxyphosphate) crystals on dark-green radiating gormanite comprise this miniature from Linopolis, Governador Valadares, Rio Doce, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen!

Greifensteinite

An excellent micro of deep-green greifensteinite on matrix from the Xanda mine, Virgem da Lapa, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil. This is the typical color - my other (tan) greifensteinite is probably iron-deficient. Zinc can replace some of the iron in Brazilian greifensteinite at the Pirineus claim.

Thanks to Chris Stefano's Christopher J. Stefano Fine Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Griphite

An excellent miniature of dark-brown resinous griphite (a complex manganese iron phosphate) from somewhere in Pennington County, South Dakota - it may be type locality material. Its color ranges from yellow to blackish-brown, so this entire specimen may be griphite.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and image!

Row 47

Grischunite

Tiny brownish-red crystals of grischunite (a hydrated manganese calcium iron sodium orthoarsenate) in matrix from the type (and only) locality of the manganese deposit at Falotta, Tinzen, Oberhalbstein, Albula Valley, Grischun, Switzerland.

Hagendorfite

A old large micro of dark greenish-brown hagendorfite (a ferrosoferric manganese sodium phosphate with traces of calcium and magnesium) crystals from the Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Rafael Bustillo Province, Potosí Department, Bolivia. Ex. John White Collection. Two of the three images here are at MinDat's photo page for hagendorfite. It forms a series with varulite where manganese replaces the ferrous iron and is a member of the alluadite group.

Thanks to Rob Lavinsky at The Arkenstone for the specimen and the images!

Hagendorfite

An excellent thumbnail of black massive hagendorfite and dark-reddish-brown wolfeite from (presumably) the type locality of Hagendorf, Waidhaus, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany - the specimen label just says "Bayern, D". Jake acquired this specimen in 2012 at Tucson from Jaroslav Hrsyl, co-author of Minerals and Their Localities.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and image!

Row 48

Harrisonite

A thumbnail of yellow-brown to orange-brown grains of harrisonite (an iron calcium silicophosphate) in matrix from the type locality of Arcedeckne Island in Peel Sound off northern Boothia Peninsula, Nunavut Territory, Canada. It has a Forrest & Barbara Cureton tag and an analytical sheet confirming the presence. Since the analysis was done by Cannon Microprobe, this could be some of the original material. The type material is magnesian harrisonite.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Herderite

A thumbnail herderite (a calcium beryllium hydroxyfluophosphate) cluster with muscovite from Fazenda Jaime Pacheco, Linopolis, Governador Valadares, Rio Doce, Minas Gerais, Brazil. This may be hydroxylherderite - herderite is very rare and is not yet confirmed from this locale.

Thanks to Sharon Burnett's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Hughesite

A good micro of bright orange hughesite (a hydrated sodium aluminum decavanadate) on a sandstone matrix from the Blue Streak Mine, Bull Canyon District, Montrose County, Colorado,

Thanks to Paolo Bracci's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 49

Hummerite

This is a small thumbnail of bright orange hummerite, a hydrated potassium magnesium decavanadate, on sandstone from the type locality of the Hummer Mine, Montrose County, Colorado. Unfortunately, the hummerite is so loosely attached to the matrix that some of it's falling off.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Hummerite

A somewhat more stable miniature of hummerite on Morrison formation greenish-gray shale, again from the type locality of the Hummer Mine. This piece was probably collected in the 1950s - it has a Frazier's Minerals tag.

Thanks to Robert Stoufer's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Hureaulite
and
Jahnsite

This beautiful rosy pink hureaulite (a manganese hydroxyphosphate) comes from the Tip Top Mine near Custer, Custer County, South Dakota - there's also some brownish-yellow jahnsite (for which the Tiptop Mine is the type locality) on the predominately dark triphylite matrix. I didn't link jahnsite to the Mineralogy Database - there are six jahnsites, all variations on a calcium iron manganese magnesium hydroxyphosphate octahydrate.

Thanks to Adam Larson's (Adam's Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 50

Hureaulite,
var. Bastinite

Bastinite's the varietal name given to hureaulite in which part of the manganese is replaced by lithium - this bastinite thumbnail comes from the type locality of Custer Mountain, Custer, South Dakota.

Thanks to Don Goodell's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Hurlbutite

A large micro of grayish-tan hurlbutite (calcium beryllium phosphate) in quartz from the Viitaniemi pegmatite, Erajarvi area, Orivesi, Etela-Suomen Laani, Finland. Ex: Gunnar Farber Collection.

Thanks to Craig Schwickrath's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Jahnsite-(CaMnMg)

A very good thumbnail of brownish-orange jahnsite-(CaMnMg) crystals on a pale-green druse of leucophosphite from the type locality of the Tip Top Mine, Fourmile, Custer District, Custer County, South Dakota.

Thanks to Stephen Hernly's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 51

Jahnsite-(MnMnMn)

A large miniature of glassy orange Jahnsite-(MnMnMn) grains in a triphylite-metavivianite matrix from Linopolis, Divino das Laranjeiras, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Johnbaumite

An excellent miniature of johmbaumite (calcium hydroxylarsenate - the arsenate analog of hydroxylapatite) from Jakobsberg Mine, Nordmark, Filipstad, Varmland, Sweden. The larger image (upper right) shows a tiny unidentified crystal. It has a Richard Tayler Minerals (Surrey) tag.

Thanks to Bob Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Joteite

A good micro of light-greenish-blue joteite (a hydrated calcium copper aluminum mixed arsenate) on matrix from the type and only locality of the Jote Mine, Pampa Larga district, Tierra Amarilla, Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile. The white mineral accompanying the joteite is probably tapiaite (a similar hydrated calcium aluminum arsenate), for which the Jote Mine is also the type and only locality.

Thanks to Stefano Broetto's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 52

Jungite

A 1mm crystal aggregate of white jungite (a hydrated iron zinc calcium hydroxyphoxphate) from the type locality of the Hagendorf South Pegmatite, Waidhaus, Bavaria, Germany. Ex: Robert Rothenberg Collection and mounted by him in 1997.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and image!

Kaatialaite

A good micro of pale-gray kaatialaite (a hydrated ferric dihydrogen arsenate) crusts on matrix from Jáchymov, Krusne Hory Mts, Karlovy Vary Region, Bohemia, Czech Republic.

Thanks to Jacek & Jaroslaw Skupienski's (Geo-Trader) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Kankite

Kankite (a hydrated ferric arsenate) occurs as yellow-green crystal masses on this miniature from the type locality of Kank, Kutna Hora, Stredocesky Kraj, Bohemia, Czech Republic.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Row 53

Kapundaite

A rich miniature of orange fibrous (to 4mm) kapundaite (a hydrated iron calcium sodium hydroxyphosphate) covering matrix from the type locality of Tom's Quarry, Kapunda, South Australia, Australia. It's structurally related to melonjosephite.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Karibibite

Collected from the 2003 occurence in Larva de Urucum, Galilea Rio Dore, Minas Gerais, Brazil, this is a thumbnail of tiny orange karibibite (an iron hydroxyarsenite) radiating clusters on silvery massive lollingite. Some references omit the hydroxy cation. Karibibite forms an incomplete series with both ludlockite, where lead replaces part of the iron, and angelellite, its oxyarsenite analog.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen!

Karibibite

A gorgeous micro of bright orange matted karibibite fibers on a massive scorodite matrix from the Oumlil Mine, Oumlil, Bou Azzer District, Tazenakht, Ouarzazate Province, Souss-Massa-Draa Region, Morocco.

Thanks to Jasun McAvoy's (Mineralman.com) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 54

Kastningite

Tiny white sprays of kastningite (a hydrated aluminum manganese iron hydroxyphosphate) on matrix comprise this micro from the Foote Mine, Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, North Carolina. There's also a trace of magnesium present. In 2010 there were only twenty-five specimens from this locale. It's polymorphic with mangangordonite and is isodtructural with stewartite.

Thanks to Kristen Burgess' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Kazakhstanite

A 1cm patch of tiny black spherical crystals of kazakhstanite (a complex hydrated iron hydroxypolyvanadate) on matrix along with reddish-brown sprays of hewettite, yellow balls of fluellite, and probable yellow-green vesignieite from the 5375 bench at the Gold Quarry Mine, Maggie Creek Subdistrict, Carlin Trend, Eureka County, Nevada. Ex: Phillips Collection.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Kemmlitzite

A large micro of white submillimeter pseudocubic kemmlitzite (an aluminum hydroxysulfatoarsenate) crystals on hematite from Weiskirchen, Saarland, Germany. This one-time find was analyzed. It's the strontium analog of hidalgoite and the arsenate analog of svanbergite.

Thanks to Thomas Kleser's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 55

Kertschenite

Depending on which reference you believe, kertschenite is either 1) a mineral resulting from the weathering of vivianite, 2) metavivianite, or 3) an intergrowth of vivianite or metavivianite with varying amounts of amorphous ferric iron phosphate (santabarbaraite) and bobierrite. Regardless, this miniature of dark-green kertschenite on matrix is from the type locality of the Kerch Peninsula, Crimea, Ukraine.

Thanks to Mirek Dorejko's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Kidwellite

A pale yellow-green crust of kidwellite (a hydrated iron sodium hydroxyphosphate) on matrix from the classic location of Polk County, Arkansas - as is typical, there are other phosphates here, namely rockbridgeite (closeups) and strunzite.

Thanks to Anne & Charles Steuart's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Kidwellite

A large miniature of flat radiating deep-green kidwellite clusters on matrix from Mena, Polk County, Arkansas.

Thanks to Thomas Moon's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 56

Kidwellite

An excellent miniature of tiny pale-green kidwellite spheroids on matrix from the Silver Coin Mine, Valmy, Iron Point District, Humboldt County, Nevada.

Thanks to Jeff & Lynn Hill's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Kingite

A miniature of white kingite (a hydrated aluminum hydroxyfluorophosphate) nodules in a tan matrix from the Clinton Phosphate Workings, Robertstown, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, Australia.

Thanks to Kristen Burgess' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Kingsmountite

An excellent miniature of white and tan kingsmountite (a hydrated calcium aluminum manganese iron magnesium hydroxyphosphate) on matrix from Huhnerkobel Mountain, Rabenstein, Zwiesel, Bavaria, Germany. It's the iron analog of montgomeryite. There are many other phosphates present (larger image, bottom row) as these phosphates here are fromed by oxidizing ground water surface reactions.

Thanks to Martin Gale's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 57

Koninckite

An excellent miniature of off-white botryoidal koninckite (ferric orthophospate trihydrate) on matrix from Kociha, Rimavska Sobota County, Banska Bystrica Region, Slovakia.

Thanks to nataliaminerals' auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Kosnarite

A thumbnail of kosnarite (zirconium potassium phosphate) crystals on an albite matrix from the recent find in the Jenipapo district, Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen!

Kovdorskite

A thumbnail pair of kovdorskite (a hydrated magnesium carbonatohydroxyphosphate - some references omit the carbonate cation) crystals from the mid-90s find at the type locality of the Kovdor iron-ore deposit, Kola Peninsula, Russia.

Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Row 58

Kovdorskite

An old small-cabinet specimen of kovdorskite crystals - two generations, pink and bluish-green - from the type locality of the Kovdor Mine.

Thanks to Krzysztof Dembicz' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Krautite

A chip of pale-pink krautite (a hydrated manganese monohydrogen arsenate) on matrix from the Svornost mine, Jachymov, Erzgebirge, Bohemia, Czech Republic. Ex: Phillips Collection with a Cureton Minerals tag. Yvonite is the other member of the krautite group.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Kryzhanovskite

An excellent thumbnail of dark-brown kryzhanovskite (a hydrated iron manganese hydroxyphosphate) crystals on matrix from Rapid Creek, Dawson Mining District, Yukon, Canada. It forns a series with garyansellite and is a member of the phosphoferrite group, from which it can be derived by oxidation.

Thanks to Rob Lavinsky at The Arkenstone for the specimen and the images!

Row 59

Kulanite

Nice crystals of kulanite (a rare barium iron aluminum hydroxyphosphate) with siderite from the type locality of Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada. It forms a series with penikisite where magnesium replaces the iron.

Thanks to Doug Miller at Northern Lights Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Lacroixite

An extremely rare thumbnail of very pale green lacroixite (aluminum sodium fluophosphate) with colorless berlinite and blue scorzalite from the Rusororo pegmatite, Gatumba District, Western Province, Rwanda. Ex Charles E. Bosworth Collection, who acquired it from Cureton Minerals in July 1993. It's the phosphate analog of durangite.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and images!

Lasalite

A large micro of reddish-orange lasalite (a hydrated magnesium sodium decavanadate) and yellowish-white metarossite from the Firefly-Pigmay Mine, La Sal Quadrangle, San Juan County, Utah. It's a member of the pascoite group.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Row 60

Laubmannite

Laubmannite's a mineral that no longer exists! When discovered in 1949 by Clifford Frondel, it was thought to be a ferrosoferric hydroxyphosphate. After more modern analyses were done in 1990, it was found to be a variable mixture of other iron-containing phosphates, primarily beraunite, dufrenite, and kidwellite. This specimen comes from the type locality of the Coon Creek Mine (York Mine) Shady, Polk County, Arkansas.

Note that now there is a "true" laubmannite - there just isn't enough of it yet to be formally named by the IMA.
Without an analysis, I can't tell you which one this it - they both occur at Coon Creek.

Thanks to Robert Stoufer's auction on eBay for the specimen and images!

Laueite

A nice micro of millimeter-sized dark-orange laueite (a hydrated iron manganese hydroxyphosphate) crystals on matrix from the Palermo Mine, Groton, Grafton County, New Hampshire. It's the manganous analog of ferrolaueite.

Thanks to Chris Stefano's Christopher J. Stefano Fine Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Lazulite

Very nice deep blue lazulite (a magnesium aluminum phosphate) crystals with quartz needles and siderite crystals from the famous Rapid Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada.

Thanks to Chris Korpi at Pangaea Minerals for the specimen!

Row 61

Lazulite

More lazulite - this one, along with blue kyanite blades and tiny pyrite cubes in quartzite, is from the classic locale of Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia.

Thanks to Drexel Pitts's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Lazulite

Lazulite in translucent quartzite, again, from the rapidly depleting site at Graves Mountain, Georgia.

Thanks to Joe Vincent's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Lazulite

A beautiful big (4 cm) sky-blue crystal of lazulite from Graves Mountain, Georgia. The silvery coating is crandallite (here an alteration product) and the attached quartzite matrix has tiny rutile and kyanite in it.

Thanks to Greg Padget's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 62

Lazulite

I just couldn't resist getting another one of these beautiful midnight blue lazulite clusters from the Rapid Creek area, Yukon Territory, Canada! This miniature's almost entirely lazulite. This specimen. like many of the Rapid Creek lazulites, has internally fractured crystal tips that are amber and green - it's thought that the color change may be due to slight compositional differences.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Lazulite

A big (for the locale) 20mm lazulaite crystal from Rapid Creek.

Thanks to Jasun McAvoy's (Mineralman.com) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Lazulite

An excellent miniature of lazulite, messelite, siderite, and quartz from the Rapid Creek area. This specimen may be from the original find; it has a tag (larger image, upper right) from the University of Saskatchewan, Mineralogy Department stating that this piece was collected by B. T. Robertson.

Thanks to Gerry Koshman's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 63

Leucophosphite
and Robertsite

Mixed crystals of tan leucophosphite (a potassium iron hydroxyphosphate) and dark brown robertsite (calcium manganese oxophosphate) in vugs comprise this specimen from the famous Tip Top Mine, Custer County, South Dakota. This is the type locality for robertsite. It's the ferric analog of tinsleyite.

Thanks to Chris Korpi at Pangaea Minerals for the specimen!

Lipscombite

Tiny green fuzzy balls of lipscombite (a ferrosoferric manganese hydroxyphosphate) on matrix from (probably the) Silver Coin Mine, Valmy, Nevada. Older references considered it dimorphous with barbosalite, a manganese-free ferrosoferric hydroxyphosphate.

Lithiophilite

A thumbnail of lithiophilite, lithium manganese phosphate, from the Bennett Quarry, Buckfield, Oxford County, Maine. It forms a series with triphylite where iron replaces the manganese.

Thanks to Graeber & Himes' table at the 2003 Carnegie Gem & Mineral Show for the specimen!

Row 64

Lithiophilite

A small cabinet peach-colored lithiophilite in quartz from the Tanco Mine (Bernic Lake Mine), Lac-du-Bonnet area, Manitoba, Canada.

Thanks to Thomas Bee's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Ludlamite

A pretty little thumbnail of ludlamite, an iron magnesium manganese phosphate, from the Blackbird Mine (Blackbird Metals, Inc. cobalt mine), Lemhi County, Idaho. There's a sprinkling of micro pyrite on one side.

Thanks to Walter Mroch's (The Gem and Mineral Exploration Company) auction for the specimen!

Ludlamite

A gorgeous large thumbnail of ludlamite on pyrite with a little siderite from the Huanuni Mine, Huanuni, Providence Dalence, Department Oruro, Bolivia.

Thanks to Brian Kosnar's (Mineral Classics) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 65

Ludlockite

A good reference thumbnail of orange ludlockite (an iron lead arsenite) on a chalcocite-germanire matrix from the type locality of the Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Otjikoto Region, Namibia. It forms an imcomplete series with karibibite where iron replaces all of the lead. Typically, ludlockite has around 3% lead content. There is a fully "plumbified" endmember also found at the Tsumeb Mine - ludlockite-(Pb) where the lead content rises to over 13%.

Thanks to Micah Cline's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Magnesiokoritnigite

A good miniature of pink tufts of magnesiokoritnigite (a hydrated magnesium hydroxyarsenate) on matrix from the type and only locality of the Torrecillas mine, Salar Grande, El Tamarugal Province, Tarapacá Region, Chile. Author's material. It's the magnesium analog of koritnigite.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Malhmoodite

Microspherules of malhmoodite (a zirconium iron phosphate tetrahydrate, often misspelled as mahlmoodite) on matrix (micro) from the type locality of the North Wilson Pit, Union Carbide, Garland County, Arkansas.

Thanks to Ingo Drescher's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 66

Manganohornesite

A miniature of very-pale-pink manganohornesite (manganese magnesium arsenate octahydrate) aggregates on a dark matrix from the Nordmark Odal Field, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden. It forms an incomplete series with hornesite and is a member of the vivianite group.

Thanks to Lester Burgess' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Mansfieldite

Microscopic clusters of gray-green mansfieldite (aluminum orthoarsenate dihydrate) occur in vugs in this weathered rhyolite thumbnail from the type locality of Hobart Butte, Lane County, Oregon. Mansfieldite forms a series with scorodite where iron replaces the aluminum, and is the arsenate analog of variscite.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Mansfieldite

A roughly one-inch cube of pale blue-green mansfieldite in matrix from Djebel, Debagh, Hamman, Meskhootine, Constantine Province, Algeria.

Thanks to Kyle Smith's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 67

Mansfieldite

A pretty miniature of glassy light-bluish-gray mansfieldite on matrix from the Perseverancia Mine, Guanaco, Santa Catalina, Antofagasta, Chile. Ex: Don Shultz Collection and Wm. W. Pinch Collection. The tag with this specimen says it's a color-change mansfieldite - I haven't seen that yet.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Mansfieldite, var.
Cobaltian Mansfieldite

A beautiful small miniature of pinkish-red cobaltian mansfieldite with yellow smolyaninovite from the Mount Cobalt Mine, Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Mansfieldite, var.
Cuprian Mansfieldite

An excellent miniature of light-blue cuprian mansfieldite crusts on matrix from the varietal type (and only reported) locality of the Cap Garonne Mine, Le Pradet, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Ex: Shultz and Carlton M. Davis Collections with a Southwest Scientific (Sedona, AZ) tag.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Row 68

Maricite

Big Fish River, Yukon, Canada is the type (and only) locality for this micromount of maricite (iron sodium phosphate).

Thanks to Chris Auer's (Eureka Micromounts) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

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Matioliite

A miniature of light-blue matioliite (a hydrated aluminum magnesium sodium hydroxyphosphate) on matrix with dark-blue apatite from the type locality of the Gentil claim, Mendes Pimentel, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It's tha magnesium analog of burangaite, with which it forms a series.

Thanks to Kerry Day's (Kaygeedee Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Matulaite

A thumbnail of limonite coated with matulaite (a hydrated aluminum calcium hydroxyphosphate) from the type locality of the Bachman Mine, Hellertown, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Matulaite was discovered in 1978 by Marge Matula - this is one of the specimens she collected and has her handwritten label!

Thanks to Ron Sloto's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 69

Maxwellite

Tiny red needles of maxwellite (iron sodium fluoarsenate) on a rhyolitic matrix from the type locality of Squaw Creek, Sierra County, New Mexico. This thumbnail was collected in 1991, the year of its discovery! Maxwellite forms two complete series; one with durangite, where aluminum replaces the iron, and one with tilasite, where calcium and magnesium replace the sodium and iron respectively.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Mejillonesite

An excellent micro of a transparent cluster of mejillonesite (a complex hydrated magnesium sodium phosphate) prisms on matrix from the type locality of Cerro Mejillones, Mejillones peninsula, Mejillones, Antofagasta Province, Chile.

Thanks to Paolo Bracci's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Melonjosephite

A good micro of dark-green (almost black) melonjosephite (a ferrosoferric calcium hydroxyphosphate) crystals on a granite matrix from the Sandamap pegmatite, Sandamap North Farm 115, Usakos, Karibib District, Erongo Region, Namibia. It has a Mikon Mineralienkontor dealer tag from the 2010 Tucson Show. It's structurally related to kapundaite.

Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 70

Messelite

This miniature of white messelite (a calcium iron manganese phosphate dihydrate) on matrix with brown siderite and several other phosphates is from the famous Palermo No. 1 Mine, North Groton, Grafton County, New Hampshire. Messelite is the iron-rich analog of manganese-rich fairfieldite. It was collected by Dr. Paul B. Moore decades ago.

Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Messelite

An excellent micro of messelite rosettes on matrix from the type locality of the Messel Mine, Messel, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany. Messelite was once discredited as a mineral - the tag with this specimen dates it to that time frame, when messelite was considered to be just a pseudomorph of collinsite after anapaite.

Thanks to Robert Kasabula's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Metahewettite

Beautiful (but fragile) scarlet radiating clusters of metahewettite (or hewettite - the only difference is that metahewettite's drier, the color and crystal form and habit are identical), a simple calcium triple-chain metavanadate on matrix from the Cactus Rat Mine, Thompson, Yellow Cat District, Grand County, Utah.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Row 71

Metamunirite

An excellent thumbnail of fuzzy white metamunirite (β-sodium metavanadate) on sandstone from the type locality of the Burro Mine, San Miguel County, Colorado. It is often formed by the dehydration of munirite and it also fluoresces a bright pink under longwave UV.

Thanks to Adam Larson's (Adam's Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Metamunirite

An excellent micro of metamunirite from the type locality - the acicular crystals here are larger and form rosettes and sprays. Ex: Pat Haynes (who found the original metamunirite circa 1991) with his signature on the micromount.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and images!

Metarossite

A very good miniature of bright yellow metarossite (calcium metavanadate dihydrate) on matrix from the Arrowhead Claim, Slick Rock District, San Miguel County, Colorado. This specimen started out as rossite, the tetrahydrate, but over the years has dehydrated to metarossite.

Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 72

Metaschoderite

A rich miniature of bright orange metaschoderite (aluminum phosphovanadate hexahydrate) coating on sandstone from the type locality of the VanNavSan Claim, Fish Creek Range, Gibellini District, Eureka County, Nevada. Ex: J. Hoppner Collection 6643. It's a dehydration product of schoderite, the octahydrate.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Metaswitzerite

Tiny radial sprays of rusty-red metaswitzerite (a manganese phosphate tetrahydrate) on a quartz matriz from the type locality of the Foote Lithium Mine, Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, North Carolina. This was originally sold as and thought to be switzerite, the heptahydrate. Studies have shown that switzerite irreversibly dehydrates (sometimes violently) in a few minutes of exposure to air to metaswitzerite. It can safely be said that all switzerite in collections is metaswitzerite. Also, even though most formulas don't show it, metaswitzerite contains a few percent of ferric and ferrous iron.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and image!

Metavariscite

Beautiful light green crystals and clusters of acicular metavariscite on matrix from the type locality of the Utahlite Claim, Lucin, Box Elder County, Utah. Metavariscite is the dimorph of variscite and forms incomplete series with both kolbeckite (its scandium analog) and phosphosiderite, (its iron analog).

Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Row 73

Metavauxite & Vauxite
on Paravauxite

From the 2006 find at the Siglo Viente Mine at Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potosí Department, Bolivia comes this excellent small cabinet specimen of all three vauxite family minerals; tabular colorless metavauxite (iron aluminum hydroxyphosphate octahydrate) crystals and a blue vauxite flower on a white paravauxite-coated matrix. Even though this is the type locality for all three minerals, this is a very rare occurence! Metavauxite is dimorphic with paravauxite.

Meurigite

Botryoidal and crusts (larger image, closeups) of rare meurigite (hydrated iron potassium hydroxyphosphate) line a pocket of stubby quartz crystals in this small cabinet matrix specimen from Teskov, Bohemia (Posikla), Czech Republic. Meurigite is now called meurigite-(K) - there's also a meurigite-(Na) where the potassium is replaced by sodium.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Meurigite-K

A beautiful thumbnail of yellow spheroidal meurigite-K on black cryptomelane from the Sapucaia Mine, Galileia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Meurigite-K was also known as potassian kidwellite.

Thanks to Bob Williamson's B and L Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 74

Meurigite-Na

A good miniature of submillimeter spheroidal off-white meurigite-Na on a limonitic matrix from Tom's Quarry, Kapunda, South Australia, Australia.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Miguelromeroite

An impressive micro of deep pink miguelromeroite (a hydrated manganese arsenate) from the Veta Negra Mine, Pampa Larga district, Tierra Amarilla, Copiapo Province, Atacama Region, Chile. It's the manganoan analog of sainfeldite (where calcium replaces manganese). Note that miguelromeroite from Veta Negra was originally thought to be villyaellenite and was later found to be miguelromeroite and re-described by Kampf in the American Mineralogist in 2009. Villyaellenite is now considered to be an intermediate species between the two end members. One of the many minerals in association here is an unusual green cuprian-manganoan adamite (larger image, middle row, right, top).

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Millisite

These two excellent old thumbnails of white millisite (a hydrated aluminum calcium sodium potassium hydroxyphosphate) and green variscite were collected from the type locality of the Little Green Monster mine, near Fairfield, Utah County, Utah in 1946 (the Dana location).

Thanks to Denise Derrico's auctions on eBay for the specimens and the images!

Row 75

Minyulite

A beautiful (for the species) small cabinet specimen of radiating minyulite (a hydrated aluminum potassium hydroxyfluorophosphate) clusters on matrix from Utahlite Hill near Lucin, Box Elder County, Utah.

Thanks to David Lewis' auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Minyulite

An excellent thumbnail of minyulite sprays on matrix from Tom's Quarry, Kapunda, South Australia, Australia. Unlike my other minyulite, these crystals are larger and completely transparent.

Thanks to Stephen Hernly's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Mitridatite

This thumbnail of bright orange mitridatite (a calcium iron oxyphosphate) on matrix is from the Swanson Quarry, East Hampton, Connecticut. It forms an incomplete series with arseniosiderite, its arsenate analog, and with robertsite, where manganese replaces the iron.

Thanks to Gloria's Minerals' table at the 2001 Carnegie Gem & Mineral Show for the specimen!

Row 76

Montebrasite

A beautiful miniature of lemon yellow montebrasite (lithium sodium aluminum hydroxyfluorophosphate) from the Telirio Mine, Linopolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It forms a series with amblygonite, its fluorohydroxyphosphate analog and a series with natromontebrasite where sodium replaces most of the lithium (some references consider natromontebrasite to be a mixture of OH-rich amblygonite with lacroixite and subordinate wardite. It has a Luiz Menezes Minerals tag.

Thanks to Eric Greene's (Treasure Mountain Mining) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Montgomeryite

Beautiful vermilion montgomeryite (a calcium magnesium aluminum hydroxyphosphate) with black robertsite (a calcium manganese phosphate) and white whitlockite (a calcium manganese iron hydroxyphosphate) on matrix from the famous Tip Top Mine, Custer County, South Dakota. This location is the type locality for robertsite.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Montgomeryite

A beautiful miniature of bright pink montgomeryite sprays on matrix from the Custer District, Custer County, South Dakota. It's the magnesium analog of kingsmountite.

Thanks to the Astro Gallery of Gems auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 77

Moraesite

A cottony mass of moraesite (hydrated beryllium hydroxyphosphate) comprises this thumbnail from (probably the Boevskoye phenakite-beryl deposit in) the Ural Mountains, Russia - it forms an incomplete series with its hydroxyarsenate analog, bearsite. Ex: Joe Cilen Collection.

Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Moraesite

A thumbnail of moraesite tufts and layered coatings on matrix from the Fazenda Pomarolli, Linópolis, Divino das Laranjeiras, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Thanks to Kerry Day's (Kaygeedee Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Morinite

A nice miniature of very pale pink morinite (a hydrated calcium aluminum sodium hydroxyfluorophosphate) in matrix from the Hugo Mine, Keystone, Keystone District, Pennington County, South Dakota. Morinite is often called jezekite in older texts, though one study has shown jezekite to be sodian morinite.

Note that there is also a jezekite that is a radioactive hydrated sodium uranyl carbonate-sulfate.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and images!

Row 78

Morinite, var.
Cuprian Morinite

Two thumbnails of light-blue cuprian morinite from the Silver Coin Mine near Valmy, Humboldt County, Nevada. One specimen has hemimorphite, lipscombite, and mimetite in association; the other has chrysocolla, fluorite, and turquoise.

Thanks to Adam Larson's (Adam's Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Mrazekite

An excellent micro of a deep-blue mrazekite (a hydrated bismuth copper oxyhydroxyphosphate) cluster (top left) from the type locality of the Podlipa (copper) deposit, Lubietová, Banská Bystrica County, Slovakia.

Thanks to Stefano Broetto's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Nabiasite

A good micro of dark-red nabiasite (a manganese barium hydroxyarsenovanadate) on matrix from the Valgraveglia Mine, Reppia, Graveglia Valley, Ne, Genova Province, Liguria, Italy.

Thanks to Chris Stefano's Christopher J. Stefano Fine Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 79

Natrodufrenite

An excellent colorful miniature of sparkling black natrodufrenite (a hydrated ferrosoferric sodium hydroxyphosphate) crystals in limonitic gossan from Tom's Quarry, Kapunda, South Australia, Australia. There's also light-green dufrenite and minor kapundaite and leucophosphite present. There's often trace aluminum It's the sodium analog of the far less common dufrenite, the ferrous analog of gayite and a member of the dufrenite group.

Thanks to Jon Mommers' auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Nefedovite

A very rare micro of colorless nefedovite (a calcium sodium fluophosphate) crystals on pink villiaumite - its typical association here - from Koashva Mt, Khibiny Massif, Kola Peninsula, Murmanskaja, Russia. Ex: Raymond B. Hodgson Collection #4014 (prior purchase from Alpha Geophysik in Sachsen in 2002).

Thanks to Andrew Hodgson's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Nevadaite

Nevadaite (a hydrated aluminum copper vanadium fluorophosphate) wasn't officially named until early 2003 - this miniature of micro turquoise-blue balls and crusts lightly scattered on matrix is from the type locality (and only occurence) of the Gold Quarry Mine, Eureka County, Nevada.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Row 80

Newberyite

Newberyite's hydrated magnesium hydrophosphate - this small thumbnail is from the type locality of the Skipton lava caves, Ballarat Victoria, Australia. Newberyite has been found in kidney stones that are due to certain bacterial infections and thus could be used as a diagnostic and treatment aid. It's named after Australian J. C. Newbery.

Thanks to Bill Awald's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Nickelaustinite

A thumbnail of light-green microbotryoidal nickelaustinite (nickel calcium zinc hydroxyarsenate) lining a vug in quartz from the type locality of the Bou Azer District, Tazenakht, Ouarzazate Province, Souss-Massa-Draâ Region, Morocco. Obtained from Mineral Zone, 7/5/2010. It's the nickel analog of austinite and cobaltaustinite and is a member of the adelite-descloizite group.

Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Nickellotharmeyerite

A very nice miniature of tan nickellotharmeyerite (a complex nickel iron bismuth calcium arsenate) on matrix from the type locality of the Roten Berg Mine, Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany.

Thanks to Jan Bürgel's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 81

Nickeltalmessite

A good miniature of pale-green nickeltalmessite (a hydrated calcium nickel arsenate) in exposed seams on matrix from only the second known location of Vallenar, Huasco Province, Atacama Region, Chile. It's the nickel analog of talmessite and is a member of the fairfieldite group..

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Ogdensburgite

An excellent micro of brownish-red ogdensburgite (a hydrated iron calcium zinc manganese hydroxyphosphate) coating matrix from the type locality of the Sterling Mine, Sterling Hill, Ogdensburg, Franklin Mining District, Sussex County, New Jersey.

Thanks to Paolo Bracci's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Olmsteadite

A micro of millimeter-sized dark-gray grains of extremely rare olmsteadite (a hydrated iron niobium tantalum potassium oxyphosphate) in matrix from the type locality of the Big Chief Mine, Pennington County, South Dakota. Ex: Tom Campbell collection.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Row 82

Panasqueiraite

A good micro of extremely rare brownish-red panasqueiraite (a calcuim magnesium fluorohydroxyphosphate) in matrix from the type locality of the Panasqueira Mine, Couto Mineiro da Panasqueira, Panasqueira, Covilhã, Castelo Branco District, Portugal. It's the hydroxyl analog of isokite and is a member of the tilasite group.

Thanks to Paolo Bracci's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Parascorodite

A capsule of white parascorodite from the type locality of Kank, Kutna Hora, Stredocesky Kraj, Bohemia, Czech Republic.It's the trigonal dimorph of scorodite.

Thanks to Kristen Burgess' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Parasymplesite

An old fascinating miniature of intergrown dark-bluish-green radiating parasymplesite (ferrous arsenate octahydrate) and kottigite, its zinc analog, on a limonitic matrix from the 1970 discovery at the Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico.

Thanks to Alexander Falster's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 83

Paravauxite

Paravauxite's the more hydrated cousin of vauxite - this thumbnail is from the type locality of Llallagua, Bustillo, Potosi­, Bolivia and was part of the Mark Bandy Collection. It's dimorphic with metavauxite.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen!

Parwanite

Tiny translucent globules of parwanite (a complex hydrated aluminum mmagnesium phosphate) on a taranakite matrix comprise this micro from the type and only locality of the Parwan Lava Caves, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia.

Thanks to Stefano Broetto's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Pascoite

Yellow-orange pascoite (a calcium decavanadate) with associated gray (unusual color) metarossite (another calcium vanadate) appear on this miniature from the Sunday #2 Mine, Carnation Mine group, Uravan District, San Miguel County, Colorado.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Row 84

Pascoite

A large thumbnail of glossy bright orange pascoite on sandstone from the D-Day #2 Mine, D-Day Mine Group, Yellow Cat District, Grand County, Utah. Multiple shades of orange and multiple crystal types probably imply some substituted pascoites or other vanadates.

Thanks to Michael Shannon's Shannon & Sons Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and images!

Peatite-(Y)

A micro of pink peatite-(Y) cubes (larger image, right) on matrix from the type and only locality of the Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Monteregie, Quebec. Peatite-(Y) is a complex yttrium sodium lithium phosphate - the white crystal below it may be ramikite-(Y), a similar complex zirconium phosphate, for which Poudrette is also the type and only locality.

Thanks to Arnaldo Brunetti's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Perhamite

A good thumbnail of white globular perhamite (a hydrated aluminum calcium hyroxysilicophosphate) with yellow-green lipscombite and probable orange jarosite on matrix from the Silver Coin Mine, Valmy, Iron Point District, Humboldt County, Nevada.

Thanks to Csanad Loranth's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 85

Pharmacolite

White botryoidal pharmacolite (calcium acid arsenate) on a sulfide matrix from the Getchell Mine, Humboldt County, Nevada. This is an old miniature (note the white ink on phenolic mount and the penciled note "1975" and "Erd", larger image, bottom).

Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Phaunouxite

An excellent miniature of millimeter-sized "cotton balls" of phaunouxite (calcium orthoarsenate undecahydrate) on matrix from Bauhaus, Richelsdorf District, Hesse, Germany. Ex: Phillips Collection with a Cureton Minerals Co. tag. It dehydrates to the decahydrate, rauenthalite.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Phosphoellenbergerite

A micro of azure-blue phosphoellenbergerite (a complex magnesium phosphate) crystals on matrix from the type locality of the Dora Maira Massif, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy. The blue color is due to a trace amount of iron via an IVCT. It's the phosphate analog of ellenbergerite.

Thanks to Stefano Broetto's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 86

Phosphoferrite

A miniature with a good tabular crystal of pale-brown phosphoferrite (larger image, right) from the Hagendorf South Pegmatite, Hagendorf, Waidhaus, Bavaria, Germany. It alters to dark-brown kryzhanovskite. Phosphoferrite (a hydrated iron manganese phosphate) is also a group name and it froms a complete series with reddingite where the iron dominates. Correianevesite is now a named intermediate mineral in the series.

Thanks to Stefano Broetto's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Phosphosiderite

Occasionally there's an iron mineral that's purple - this phosphosiderite (or metastrengite, ferric phosphate dihydrate) on black triplite (another phosphate) comes from the Lord Hill Quarry in Stoneham, Oxford County, Maine. It's dimorphic with strengite.

Thanks to Veronica Matthew's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Phosphosiderite

A thumbnail of light purple phosphosiderite and shimmery brown rockbridgeite from the Williams Pegmatite, Coosa County, Alabama.

Thanks to Jennings "Beau" Gordon's (Jendon Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 87

Phosphosiderite

An impressive miniature of deep-purple phosphosiderite on matrix from the Stewart Gem Mine, Pala, San Diego County, California. The actual (to my eyes) color is halfway between my and Justin's photos.

Thanks to Justin Zzyzx's (ZzyzxMinerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Phosphosiderite

An excellent micro of pink drusy phosphosiderite in matrix from Mangualde, Viseu District, Portugal.

Thanks to Paolo Bracci's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Phosphosiderite

A sharp pink prismatic phosphosiderite crystal in a barbosalite matrix from the Bull Moose Mine, Custer County, South Dakota.

Thanks to Micah Cline's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 88

Picropharmacolite

An excellent miniature of white picropharmacolite (a hydrated mixed arsenate of calcium and magnesium) tufts on matrix from Richelsdorf, North Hesse, Germany. It may be from the type locality of the ore dumps at the Richelsdorf Smelter, but the tag just says Richelsdorf. Picropharmacolite can be (somewhat) dehydrated to form irhtemite.

Thanks to Martin Gale's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Planerite

Planerite is turquoise without the copper - this aluminum phosphate specimen comes from the Montgomery County Quarry, Mauldin Mountain, Montgomery County, Arkansas. Colorless needles of (probable) austinite are on top of the lime-green planerite and in small vugs elsewhere. Planerite forms a complete series with turquoise and often has a bluish tint.

Thanks to Anne & Charles Steuart's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Planerite

More planerite from the Montgomery County Quarry in Arkansas. These two (larger image) miniatures show its wide color range.

Thanks to Rick & Angelina Davis' auction on eBay for the specimens!

Row 89

Planerite

A beautiful miniature of bright kelly-green planerite in matrix from somewhere near Mt. Ida, Montgomery County, Arkansas. This 2005 find was a small pocket and is now depleted - the green color is due to a trace amount of iron.

Thanks to Kathy Stevens' auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Planerite

A beautiful small-cabinet specimen of light-blue planerite on matrix from Mauldin Mountain, Montgomery County, Arkansas. A few spheres are broken, showing the white (purer) planerite underlying the cuprian planerite. Ex: Fred d'Esopo #2145 and William Pinch Collections.

Thanks to Emilie & Ron Kendig's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Purpurite

Purpurite, a manganese iron phosphate, is always massive - this one's (probably) from the Dunton Mine, Newry, Oxford County, Maine. It forms a series with heterosite where the iron has predominance.

Thanks to John Veevaert at Trinity Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Row 90

Purpurite

An excellent large miniature of purpurite from the Straussheim I pegmatite, Kenhardt, ZF Mgcawu District, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.

Thanks to Neil Richards' auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Rauenthalite

A nice miniature of rare white rauenthalite (calcium orthoarsenate decahydrate) on bright pink botryoidal erythrite from the Richelsdorf District, North Hesse, Hesse, Germany.

Thanks to Martin Gale's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Reddingite

An esthetic miniature of pink reddingite (a hydrated manganese iron orthophosphate), light-yellow hureaulite, and dark-green barbosalite on matrix from Conselheiro Pena, Minas Gerais, Brazil (probably the Jocao pegmatite. It forms a series with phosphoferrite, where iron dominates.

Thanks to Michael Flaherty's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 91

Reddingite

A second reddingite - this one's a micromount cluster also from the Jocao Mine.

Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Reddingite

A beautiful small-cabinet specimen of deep-pink reddingite on matrix from the Eduardo claim, Conselheiro Pena, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Thanks to Antonio Carlos Chagas Ramos at Brazilian Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Richellite

A miniature of massive richellite (an iron calcium phosphate) from the type locality of Richelle, Visé, Liège Province, Belgium. There are at least two different formulas for richellite and MinDat considers it "questionable". It's one of the many amorphous phosphate minerals - upon heating at 500° C for 30 min. it crystallizes to a calcian lipscombite.

Thanks to Brad Hilken's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 92

Robertsite

An 8mm x 5mm chip of red robertsite (a hydrated manganese calcium oxyphosphate) and minor brown leucophosphite from the type locality of the Tip Top Mine, Fourmile, Custer County, South Dakota. It's the dimorph of pararobertsite.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and image!

Rockbridgeite

This specimen's the reverse of my kidwellite one - the rockbridgeite (a ferrosoferric hydroxyphosphate) predominates here while the kidwellite is relegated to the back of this specimen from the 2001 find at Helena, Shelby County, Alabama. There's usually a small amount of manganese with the ferrous iron of rockbridgeite - when the manganese replaces the ferrous iron completely, it becomes frondelite. Also, there's some millimeter-sized spherules of (probably) cacoxenite on a back corner.

Thanks to Adam Barwood's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Rockbridgeite

A miniature of banded fibrous black rockbridgeite and rusty-orange dufrenite (a hydrated iron calcium hydroxyphosphate) from the type locality of the Midvale Mine, South Mountain, Midvale, Rockbridge County, Virginia. Ex: Phillips Collection and has a Dan & Diana Weinrich (StL, MO) #3682064 tag. Note that rockbridgeite oxidizes to various shades of brown, so . . . .

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Row 93

Rockbridgeite

An excellent large miniature of black acicular needles of rockbridgeite in divergent sprays with off-white leucophosphite on matrix from the Tip Top Mine, Fourmile, Custer County, South Dakota. Ex: Waldner Collection.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Roselite

Roselite is a calcium cobalt magnesium arsenate and this thumbnail is from Bou Azzer, Morocco. The Moroccan roselites often have associated dimorphous beta-roselite (triclinic instead of monoclinic). Roselite forms a complete series with wendwilsonite.

Thanks to John Veevaert at Trinity Minerals for the specimen!

Roselite

A very nice miniature of roselite on matrix, also from Bou Azzer.

Thanks to Elena Van Scriver's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 94

Roselite

This second miniature from Bou Azzer has red roselite on bright pink cobaltocalcite.

Thanks to Elena Van Scriver's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Rruffite

A good micro of pale-blue rruffite (calcium copper arsenate dihydrate) on matrix from the abandoned silver-cobalt Jote Mine, Pampa Larga district, Tierra Amarilla, Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile. It's a member of the roselite group.

Thanks to Stefano Broetto's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Sainfeldite

A beautiful miniature of deep-pink sainfeldite (a hydrated calcium mixed arsenate) puffballs on a calcite matrix from Bou Azzer, Tazenakht, Ouarzazate Province, Souss-Massa-Draa Region of Morocco. The pink color is probably due to cobalt as there are cobaltoan calcite and dolomite present at this location. It's the calcium analog of miguelromeroite.

Thanks to Anna Jachymiak's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 95

Santabarbaraite
after Vivianite

A miniature of dark-brown santabarbaraite (ferric hydroxyphosphate pentahydrate) after vivianite in matrix from the Kerchenskoe deposit, Kerchenskyi (Fe)-ore basin, Kerch peninsula, Crimea peninsula, Ukraine.

Thanks to Kim Patrick Noyes' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Santabarbaraite

Santabarbaraite also occurs as a smooth brown massive as in this thumbnail, also from the Kerch peninsula, Crimea peninsula, Ukraine.

Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Sarcopside

Reddish-brown grains of sarcopside (an iron manganese magnesium phosphate) on a dark-brown matrix from the Bull Moose Mine, Custer County, South Dakota.

Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 96

Sarkinite

A thumbnail of an orange sarkinite (manganese hydroxyarsenate) coating on matrix from the Valgraveglia Mine, Reppia, Graveglia Valley, Ne, Genova Province, Liguria, Italy. It's a member of the wagnerite group.

Thanks to Kerry Day's (Kaygeedee Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Sarmientite

It's very hard to see but there are pale-yellow microcrystalline coatings of sarmientite (a hydrated iron hydroxysulfatophosphate) on a white matrix in this thumbnail from the type locality of the Santa Elena Mine, Quebrada Alcaparrosa, Calingasta Department, San Juan, Argentina. It's the arsenate analog of diadochite.

Thanks to Stefano Broetto's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Sasaite

White aggregates of sasaite (a hydrated aluminum iron hydroxysulfatophosphate) on a black shale matrix comprise this thumbnail from the Breitenau (magnesite) Mine, Hochlantsch, St. Jakob-Breitenau, Fischbacher Alpen, Styria, Austria.

Thanks to Csanad Loranth's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 97

Sasaite

A secomd sasalite from Breitenau - this miniature is distinctly blue and layered. The water content varies with atmospheric relative humidity.

Thanks to Csanad Loranth's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Satterlyite

A miniature half-nodule of radiating yellow-brown satterlyite (an iron magnesium hydroxyphosphate) aggregates from the type locality of the Big Fish River, Dawson Mining District, Yukon, Canada.

Thanks to Darrel Merke's (Proton Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Schlossmacherite

A pretty miniature of lime-green schlossmacherite (an aluminum calcium hydroxyarsenate) and sky-blue ceruleite on matrix from the type locality for both minerals, the Emma Luisa Mine, Guanaco, Taltal, Chile.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Row 97

Schneiderhohnite

An excellent thumbnail of rare schneiderhohnite (a ferrosoferric mixed arsenite, now considered a mixed oxide) on lollingite from the Corrego do Urucum pegmatite, Galileia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Thanks to Don Smoley's Minerals & Gems' table at the 2004 Carnegie Gem & Mineral Show for the specimen!

Schoderite

Schoderite's an aluminum phosphatovanadate - this one's from the type locality of the VanNavSan Claim, Fish Creek, Eureka County, Nevada. Due to changes in the hydration state of the surrounding rock, there's no current schoderite available. There's probably also some metaschoderite, a dehydration product of schoderite, and vashegyite present as well.

Thanks to Richard Dale's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Schumacherite

A miniature of sparsely scattered brownish-yellow schumacherite (bismuth oxyhydroxyvanadate) on matrix from Manhattan, Toquima Range, Nye County, Nevada. It forms two series; one with petitjeanite, its phosphate analog, and the other with preisingerite, its arsenate analog.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Row 98

Scorodite

Beautiful color-change (blue-green to violet) crystals of scorodite, a rare iron phosphate, from Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico. It's the orthorhombic dimorph of parascorodite.

Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Scorzalite

As the magnesium in lazulite is replaced by iron, it becomes the more opaque (and rarer) scorzalite - this small cabinet specimen of denim-blue scorzalite in mica pegmatite is from the Palermo #1 Mine in Groton, Grafton County, New Hampshire.

Thanks to John & Liz Clevesy's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Scorzalite

Another scorzalite from the Palermo Mine - this small cabinet piece has scorzalite crystals all through it.

Thanks to Lynricia Beavers' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 99

Scorzalite
in Kyanite

A miniature of massive dark-blue scorzalite in massive sky-blue kyanite-quartzite from the facing-stone quarry at Halsjoberg, Torsby, Varmland, Sweden. The larger image (bottom, center) shows what may be svanbergite, for which this is the type locality.

Thanks to Jan Garland's (Fine Rocks) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Senegalite

A very nice thumbnail of micro yellowish-green senegalite (hydrated aluminum hydroxyphosphate) crystals on turquoise from the type locality of Kouroudiako, Faleme, Senegal.

Thanks to Val Collins' auction on eBay for the specimen!

Sherwoodite

Sherwoodite's a rare calcium aluminum double vanadate usually occuring as a dark blue stain - this one's from the Sunday #2 Mine, Carnation Mine group, San Miguel County, Colorado.

Thanks to Eduardo Jawerbaum's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 100

Sigloite

Rusty-brown crystals of sigloite (an iron aluminum hydroxyphosphate) on matrix (along with some tiny colorless paravauxite crystals) from the type locality of the Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillo, Potosi, Bolivia.

Thanks to Richard Dale's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Sincosite

There are clusters of greenish sincosite, a rare calcium vanadyl (IV) hydroxyphosphate, scattered on the matrix of this small cabinet piece from the 1996 find at the Ross Hannibal Mine, Lead, Lawrence County, South Dakota.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen!

Smolyaninovite

An excellent thumbnail of light-yellow smolyaninovite (a hydrated iron cobalt arsenate) coatings and pseudomorphs after pink erythrite on matrix from the type locality of the Khovu-Aksy Ni-Co deposit, Tuva Republic, Eastern-Siberian Region, Russia. Small amounts of nickel, magnesium, and calcium replace the cobalt and aluminum can replace the iron.

Thanks to Csanad Loranth's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 101

Souzalite

A miniature of light-brown souzalite (a hydrated magnesium iron aluminum hydroxyphosphate) fibers with dark-green gormanite (with which it forms a series) from the famous Rapid Creek area, Yukon, Canada. Ex: Jacques Chabot Collection.

Thanks to Chris Auer's (Eureka Micromounts) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Steigerite

The Cactus Rat Mine, Yellow Cat District, Grand County, Utah is the home of this miniature of yellow steigerite (aluminum orthovanadate trihydrate) microcrystals on a sandstone matrix. There's a nice (probable) barnesite cluster on the back (larger image, bottom).

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

Straczekite

Tiny black specks of straczekite (a calcium barium potassium vanadate) on a thumbnail matrix from the type locality of the North Wilson pit at the Union Carbide Mine, Potash Sulfur Springs, Garland County, Arkansas. Straczekite is the namesake of one of the two fibrous "vanadium bronze" mineral groups, which also includes bariandite, bokite, corvusite, and fernandinite. Vanadium bronzes are used as pigments and are being studied for catalysts, electrochromic displays, and electrochemical analytical electrodes.

Thanks to Ben Clardy's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Thanks also to Paul D. Thompson, the discoverer of straczekite, for the location correction!

Row 102

Straczekite

A larger thumbnail with thousands of tiny black straczekite crystals on a white matrix, also from the type locality. Because the straczekite group minerals are mixed vanadates (V4+ and V5+), they are considered oxides and I should classify them accordingly.

Thanks to Reiner Mielke's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Strengite

Strengite's one of the few purple iron minerals - this excellent thumbnail of strengite (ferric phosphate dihydrate) sphericules on iron ore is from Norrbotten, Sweden. It forms a series with variscite, its aluminum analog and is dimorphic with phosphosiderite.

Thanks to Jennings "Beau" Gordon's (Jendon Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Svabite

Svabite's the arsenate analog of (fluoro)apatite. This miniature is from the Raktenvare Mountains, Seitevare, Ultevis, Lappland, Sweden.

Thanks to Jan Garland's (Fine Rocks) auction on eBay for the specimen!

Thanks also to Leif Engman for the location update!

Row 103

Talmessite

Very nice miniclusters of talmessite (a hydrated calcium magnesium arsenate) on a miniature matrix from the Gold Hill Mine, Tooele County, Utah - it also fluoresces yellow green under longwave UV. Talmessite forms a series with gaitite, its zinc analog.

Thanks to Chris Auer's (Eureka Micromounts) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Taranakite

Taranakite (a hydrated aluminum potassium ammonium double phosphate) is a secondary phosphate found in caves and along seashores - it's the most common cave mineral. This vial of white taranakite grains is from Super Cave, Cervantes, Western Australia, Australia. Ex: Bob Carr Collection with a Minerals Unlimited tag.

Thanks to David H. Garske's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Taranakite

A micro of massive white taranakite from the Sassyk-Unkur Cave, Aravan, Kyrgyzstan.

Thanks to Mike Petrov's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 104

Tilasite

An excellent micro of orange off-matrix tilasite (a calcium magnesium fluoroarsenate) from the type locality of Långban, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden. It's the arsenate analog of isokite and forms two series; one with durangite, and one with maxwellite.

Thanks to Stephen Hernly's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Tilasite

An excellent miniature of pinkish-brown tilasite clusters on a white matrix from the Mt. Cervandone area, Baceno, Devero Valley, Antigorio Valley, Ossola Valley, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy. The darker brown clusters may also be tilasite - its color varies widely with (trace-induced) composition changes.

Thanks to Luca De Battisti's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Tinsleyite

Whitish balls to 3mm of tinsleyite (a hydrated aluminum potassium hydroxyphosphate) on matrix with other phosphates comprise this miniature from Tom's Quarry, Kapunda, South Australia, Australia. An often orange-red color is due to traces of manganese. It's the aluminum analog of leucophosphite.

Thanks to Darrel Merke's (Proton Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 105

Tinticite

A round nodule of white, earthy tinticite (a hydrated iron hydroxyvanadophosphate) from the Rocabruna Mines, Bruguers, Barcelona, Spain. It's the phosphate analog of kamarizaite.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Triphylite

A large cabinet specimen of triphylite (lithium iron manganese phosphate) from the famous Palermo #1 pegmatite, North Groton, New Hampshire. It forms a complete series with lithiophilite, the manganese-rich end member, and like lithiophite, is a primary phosphate mineral - it alters into many beautiful secondary phosphates. Because of the color, this specimen may be nearer in composition to lithiophite. There's also minor muscovite and pyrite present.

Thanks to Alexander Falster's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Triploidite

This miniature of red triploidite (a manganese iron hydroxyphosphate) and beige quartz comes from the Capoeira Mine, near Parelhas, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. It forms a series with wolfeite where the iron predominates.

Thanks to Thomas Bee's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 106

Trolleite

Trolleite's another aluminum hydroxyphosphate - here, it occurs as glassy light greenish blue masses with specular hematite and quartz. It's from Halsjoberg, Torsby, Varmland, Sweden. I increased the color gamma a bit on these pictures - it really is beautful shades of green and blue.

Thanks to Emilie & Ron Kendig's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Turneaureite

Turneaureite's another apatite group mineral (calcium phosphatoarsenate) - this small cabinet piece has orange patches of turneaureite and probable tiny dark-brown donpeacorite crystals. It's from the type locality (for both minerals) of the ZCA Mine #4, Balmat, St Lawrence County, New York.

Thanks to Val Collins' auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Uralolite

An excellent large micro of cream-colored uralolite (a hydrated calcium beryllium hydroxyphosphate) rosettes on matrix from the Brandrucken Mine, Koralpe, Carinthia, Austria.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and image!

Row 107

Ushkovite on
Roscherite

A couple of rare ones here - ushkovite is a hydrated magnesiun iron hydroxyphosphate - the small orange "cubes" (larger image, right, top center) on tan roscherite, a hydrated calcium manganese iron beryllium hydroxyphosphate on a quartz matrix from Galileia, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Thanks to Chris Korpi at Pangaea Minerals for the specimen!

Ushkovite on
Dufrenite

A deep-orange ushkovite crust on green dufrenite (a hydrated iron calcium hydroxyphosphate) thumbnail also from Galiléia.

Thanks to Alexander Falster's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Vantasselite

Vantasselite's a hydrated aluminum hydroxyphosphate - this rare small cabinet specimen is from the type locality of Bihain, Stavelot massif, Ardennes, Belgium.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 108

Vantasselite

A beautiful fascinating miniature of flat radial vantasselite on a shale fissure, also from Bihain.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Variscite

The prettiest massive variscite (aluminum phosphate dihydrate) comes from Fairfield County, Utah, where it occurs in (sometimes up to 24") nodules that are often cabbed for jewelry or used as ornamental stone. Only the minty green part is variscite - the other colors are other phosphates (like yellow crandallite).

Thanks to Walter Mroch's (The Gem and Mineral Exploration Company) auction for the specimen and the image!

Variscite

Back in 1999 a new locale was found (Itumbiara, Goias, Brazil) with beautiful, bright green crystalline variscite! It's dimorphic with metavariscite and forms a series with strengite (iron phosphate).

Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Row 109

Variscite

This is an end slab of a big variscite nodule from the Utahlite Claim, Lucin, Box Elder County, Utah.

Thanks to Lenora Salandi's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Variscite

This cabinet specimen of gem-grade cabochon variscite comes from Nevada.

Thanks to Charley William's AZPERIDOT auction on eBay for the specimen!

Variscite

A miniature of beautiful red variscite crystals on a magnetite matrix from the Iron Monarch Mine, Iron Knob, Middleback Ranges, South Australia, Australia. That's essentially the only locale for it, according to this article, though there are references to an occurence in Cocke County, Tennessee. The color may be due to the 10% iron content.

Thanks to Thomas Bee's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 110

Variscite

Another (large) miniature of green variscite from the find at Itumbiara, Goias, Brazil.

Thanks to Lourenço Santos' auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Variscite

Here's a beautiful polished variscite "clover leaf" from the Lucin District, Box Elder County, Utah.

Thanks to David Wonderly's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Variscite

A beautiful miniature of tan variscite on both sides of matrix from the Wisniowka Wielka quartzite sandstone quarry in the Swietokrzyskie Mts, Poland.

Thanks to Mirek Dorejko's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 111

Variscite, var.
Variquoise

Variscite from Snowville, Box Elder County, Utah occurs with spiderwebbing and is often called "variquoise" or "green turquoise" - these two miniatures have been tumbled.

Thanks to Susan & Jimmy Lambert's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Vashegyite

An excellent miniture of white vashegyite () on matrix from the VanNavSan Claim, Gibellini District, Eureka County, Nevada. There's also some yellow schoderite present. Ex: Kidwell Collection with a Pequa Rare Minerals tag.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Vauxite

Vauxite (iron aluminum hydroxyphosphate hexahydrate) is fairly rare and one of the very few blue iron-containing minerals - this one's from the type locality of the Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillo, Potosi, Bolivia, one of the classic locations. The white mineral is probably paravauxite - vauxite with a little more hydration.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen!

Row 112

Väyrynenite

An excellent miniature of pink väyrynenite (a manganese beryllium fluorohydroxyphosphate) in matrix from the type locality of the Viitaniemi pegmatite, Eräjärvi area, Orivesi, Etelä-Suomen Lääni, Finland.

Thanks to Paolo Bracci's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Viitaniemiite

An excellent miniture of grayish-white viitaniemiite (a calcium aluminum sodium manganese fluorohydroxyphoshate) and pink lepidolite crystals on matrix from the Skardu District, Baltistan, Pakistan.

Thanks to Muhammad Fayaz' auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Vivianite

This vivianite (ferrous phosphate octahydrate) specimen is from somewhere in Nevada. Vivianite's photosensitive - the crystals darken and split after long-term exposure to light.

Thanks to Gary Lozonne at Lozonne's Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Row 113

Vivianite

A single crystal of reasonably gemmy vivianite from the Chicote Grande Mine, La Paz, Bolivia. The recent (2003+) vivianites from this and other Bolivian locales may not be as sensitive to light and humidity.

Thanks to SoCal Nevada's auction on eBay for the specimen and images!

Vivianite

A beautiful bicolor vivianite crystal from the classic US vivianite location, the Blackbird Mine, Blackbird mine complex, Blackbird District, Lemhi County, Idaho.

Thanks to Kevin Boulter's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Vivianite

A miniature of sharp deep-blue vivianite crystals on matrix from Big Fish River, Dawson Mining District, Yukon Territory, Canada. It has a Tysons tag and dates back to the 1980s.

Thanks to Ron Sloto's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 114

Vivianite

Another vivianite crystal from the Blackbird Mine - the "S" curve of this one is fascinating!

Thanks to Kevin Boulter's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Vladimirite

A small miniature of white radial tufts of vladimirite (a hydrated calcium mixed arsenate) on matrix from the Ightem Mine, Ightem, Bou Azzer District, Tazenakht, Ouarzazate Province, Souss-Massa-Draa Region of Morocco.

Thanks to Dieter Obrecht's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Wagnerite

A nice miniature of brownish-orange wagnerite (a magnesium iron fluorophosphate) grains and probable blue lazulite in matrix from Hålsjöberg, Torsby, Värmland, Sweden.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Row 115

Wardite

An excellent thumbnail of wardite (hydrated aluminum sodium hydroxyphosphate) crystals on matrix from Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada. It forms an incomplete series with cyrilovite, where iron replaces the aluminum.

Thanks to Anthony Jones' auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Wardite

A large (for the species) wardite crystal thumbnail, also from the Rapid Creek area. There's an unidentified golden-brown druse on the back (larger image, middle).

Thanks to Mike Shell's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Wavellite

Wavellite's an aluminum hydroxyfluorophosphate and this one's from the classic site (Dug Hill, near Avant) in Garland County, Arkansas. It's also called fischerite. The green color is due to vanadium - pure wavellite is white.

Row 116

Wavellite

Another wavellite from Arkansas - the spherules on this one are all intact so the radial patterns aren't visible.

Wavellite

A beautiful wavellite thumbnail.

Wavellite

An interesting thumbnail of white wavellite on (probable) fluellite (an aluminum hydroxyfluorophosphate) on a dark matrix from the Willard Mine (one of the best U. S. locales for fluellite) in Pershing County, Nevada.

Row 117

Wavellite

The vast majority of wavellite is green - here's a beautiful yellow miniature from (probably the) Crystal Baron Mine, Crows, Saline County, Arkansas. It also fluoresces a beautiful apple green thanks to a microscopic coating of pure (iron-free and colorless) wavellite. (A trace of iron quenches the fluorescence in almost all wavellite.)

Thanks to Anne & Charles Steuart's auction on eBay for the specimen!
Thanks also to J. Michael (Mike) Howard, Rockhounding Arkansas, for the fluorescence info!

Wavellite

A beautiful, bright, and sparkly wavellite from Mauldin Mountain, Mount Ida, Montgomery County, Arkansas.

Thanks to Angela Fisher's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Wavellite

This is a beautiful and rare small cabinet specimen of white wavellite (there's also some yellow and rusty red wavellite - see the larger image) from Cerhovice, Bohemia, Czech Republic. Some of the white wavellite tips are fluorescent. The Michigan College of Mines (now Michigan Tech University) label dates the specimen to sometime between 1897 and 1927.

Thanks to Thomas Bee's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 118

Wavellite

A pretty miniature of yellow wavellite from Arkansas. One of the spheroids has broken open to reveal a hollow center (larger image, bottom row, center).

Wavellite

A large cabinet piece of wavellite and cacoxenite-coated hematite-included quartz (and possible pyrolusite and minyulite) again from the Willard Mine, Lovelock, Nevada. There's a lot to study here.

Thanks to Mike Keim at Marin Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Wavellite

A cute miniature of gray wavellite from Montgomery County, Arkansas.

Thanks to H M & D Minerals' table at the 2002 Carnegie Gem & Mineral Show for the specimen!

Row 119

Wavellite

A deep-green wavellite miniature from an unknown location.

Thanks to Dieter Obrecht's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Wavellite

A miniature of wavellite on matrix from the type locality of the High Down Quarry, Filleigh, North Devon, Devon, England. These wavellite spherules grew in seams - when the seams were split, so did they.

Thanks to Helen Wilkinson's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Wavellite

A beautiful small cabinet specimen of deep-green wavellite spherules (up to 12mm) on matrix from Mauldin Mtn near Mount Ida, Montgomery County, Arkansas.

Thanks to Matthew Price's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 120

Wavellite

A beautiful translucent miniature slab of radial wavellite crystals from somewhere in Garland County, Arkansas.

Thanks to Don Pattillo's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Wavellite

Beautiful lime-green wavellite spherules on matrix comprise this cabinet piece from the 2007 and already depleted find at the National Limestone Company Quarry, Lime Ridge, Mount Pleasant Mills, Perry Township, Snyder County, Pennsylvania.

Thanks to Rob Lavinsky at The Arkenstone for the specimen and the images!

Wavellite

An excellent miniature of very pale green wavellite on matrix from the Willard Mine in Pershing County, Nevada.

Thanks to Reiner Mielke's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Row 121

Wavellite

A miniature of black wavellite on matrix from somewhere in Saxony, Germany. Yellow and dark-gray (or dark-green) concentrically-banded wavellite (larger image, top row, right) from this area (Langenstriegis) is called "striegisane". Ex: Donald Cooke Collection.

Thanks to Tom & Vicki Loomis at Dakota Matrix Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Wavellite

A pair of deep-blue wavellites from somewhere near Avant, Arkansas.

Thanks to Jefferey & Tammie Gunter's auction on eBay for the specimens and the images!

Wavellite

A beautiful small-cabinet specimen of wavellite ranging in color from deep-green to silvery blue-green from Dug Hill, Avant, Garland County, Arkansas. Ex: Vince Vozza Collection.

Thanks to Michael Shannon's Shannon & Sons Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and images!

Row 122

Wavellite

A fine miniature of colorless wavellite radial sprays on matrix, probably from the little-known locality of Suttenbach, Helmbrechts, Franconia, Bavaria, Germany.

Thanks to Robert Vano's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Waylandite

Waylandite (a bismuth aluminum hydroxyphosphate) is rare enough but waylandite pseudomorphing after bismuthinite - from the Barra do Corda pegmatite, Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil - is extremely rare. I could only find one other example. It's the aluminum analog of zairite.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and image!

Wendwilsonite

Wendwilsonite is a calcium magnesium cobalt arsenate and forms a complete series with roselite - this miniature of deep red wendwilsonite crystals in a vug in a skutterudite-containing matrix is from the Aghbar Mine, Bou Azzer, Morocco.

Thanks to Steve & Susan Bringe's (Summit Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Row 123

Whiteite

Beautiful tan crystals of whiteite (an aluminum magnesium hydroxyphosphate with traces of calcium, iron, and manganese) - there's actually three whiteites; this one's probably whiteite-(CaFeMg). There's also tiny quartz, lazulite, and augelite crystals. This miniature is from Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada.

Thanks to Dave Hayward at Lucky Strike Minerals for the specimen and the image!

Whiteite-(CaFeMg)

A 15mm whiteite-(CaFeMg) crystal from Crosscut Creek, Area 1 (Kulan Camp), Rapid Creek, Dawson Mining District, Yukon Territory, Canada.

Thanks to Reiner Mielke's auction on eBay for the specimen and the images!

Whitlockite

An interesting miniature of whitlockite (a calcium iron magnesium hydroxyphosphate) crystals on matrix from Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada. The larger image shows gormanite inclusions (bottom right) and a kulanite rosette (bottom left).

Thanks to Jonathan Levinger's auction on eBay for the specimen and identifications!

Row 124

Whitlockite

An excellent small-cabinet specimen of pale-pink whitlockite lining a vug in massive quartz from the Tip Top Mine, Fourmile, Custer District, Custer County, South Dakota. There's also some reddish-black robertsite present.

Thanks to Chris Korpi's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Whitmoreite

A busy thumbnail of phosphates from the Hagendorf South Pegmatite, Waidhaus, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany. In addition to yellow-brown whitmoreite (larger image, top right), there's also yellow-orange laueite (larger image, bottom left) and pale-yellow strunzite (larger image, bottom right). Whitmoreite is a hydrated ferrosoferric hydroxyphosphate and is the phosphate analog of bendadaite.

Thanks to Paolo Bracci's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Wolfeite

A miniature chunk of wolfeite, a rare iron manganese hydroxyphosphate, from the Big Fish River area, Yukon, Canada. It forms a series with triploidite.

Thanks to Tom Klinepeter's auction on eBay for the specimen!

Row 125

Wolfeite

Another miniature of mixed phosphates from the Big Fish River area. Predominated by reddish-brown wolfeite, this specimen also includes golden-brown satterlyite (larger image, bottom row center) and minor maricite (larger image, bottom row right). There's also pyrite and vivianite present.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Xanthoxenite

A rich thumbnail of light-golden-brown xanthoxenite (a hydrated calcium iron hydroxyphosphate) on matrix from the type locality of the Palermo No. 1 Mine, Groton, Grafton County, New Hampshire. It's a secondary phosphate created by hydrothermal reworking of triphylite.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and image!

Xenotime-(Y)

This is a beautiful thumbnail crystal of color-change (larger image) xenotime-(Y) from Zagi Mountain, NNW of Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan. It forms a complete series with chernovite-(Y), its arsenate analog and an incomplete series with xenotime-(Yb), its ytterbium analog. These came from a (now-depleted) single-pocket find of only a few dozen specimens in Spring 2003.

Thanks to Rob Lavinsky at The Arkenstone for the specimen and the image!

Row 126

Xenotime-(Y)

A 2cm pair of adjoined and terminated xenotime-(Y) crystals from Ibitiara, Bahia, Brazil. Both crystals show the typical c-axis curvature.

Thanks to John Veevaert at Trinity Minerals for the specimen and the images!

Xenotime-(Y)

A tan xenotime-(Y) crystal from Evje og Hornnes, Aust-Agder, Norway. This crystal is almost entirely missing its prismatic "sides".

Thanks to Paolo Bracci's auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Yukonite

A miniature of rare and amorphous black yukonite (a hydrated iron calcium hydroxyarsenate) on matrix collected in 1984 from the Venus Mine (near the type locality), Carcross, Near Lake Tagish, Yukon Territories, Canada.

Thanks to Marty Lewadny at CrystalEnthusia (formerly Crystal Variations) for the specimen and the image!

Row 127

Zanazziite

An interesting miniature of an equant light-olive-green zanazziite (a hydrated iron calcium magnesium beryllium hydroxyphosphate) crystal partially covered with gormanite needles from Minas Gerais, Brazil - it may be from the type locality of the Lavra da Ilha pegmatite. Zanazziite is a member of the roscherite group.

Thanks to Adam Larson's (Adam's Minerals) auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Zanazziite, var.
Manganoan Zanazziite

An excellent micro of pink manganoan zanazziite on albite from the Jenipapo District, Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It was acquired from Luis Menezes and carefully analyzed - almost all of the iron is replaced by manganese.

Thanks to Jake Slagle's Maryland Minerals auction on eBay for the specimen and the image!

Zýkaite

A miniature of grayish-white zýkaite (a hydrated ferric hydroxysulfatoarsenate) with gypsum and yellowish kankite from the type locality of the Safary mine, Kank, Kutná Hora, Bohemia, Czech Republic.

Thanks to Tony Nikischer at the Excalibur Mineral Company for the specimen!

maintained by: Alan Guisewite

Last Update 5 Jun 2016