Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
orthorhombicuncommonPhosphates
Variscite
AlPO₄·2H₂O
This specimen displays a vibrant apple-green to blue-green mass of variscite, likely cryptocrystalline, forming botryoidal aggregates or filling a matrix.
Variscite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
4Crystal System
orthorhombicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
good on {010}, poor on {100} and {110}Fracture
conchoidalSpecific Gravity
2.5Colors
green, blue-green, yellowish-greenTransparency
translucentType Locality
Tonopah District, Nye County, Nevada, USAMineral Group
PhosphatesUses
jewelry, ornamental stone, collectorAssociated Minerals
crandallite, wavellite, chalcedony, quartzRarity
uncommonGeological Context
Variscite is a secondary mineral that forms in aluminum-rich rocks, often in veins, nodules, or crusts, typically in areas altered by phosphate-rich waters. It is commonly found in association with limonite and other iron oxides.
