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 features vibrant blue-green variscite forming botryoidal or nodular patterns, often with concentric darker green rings, set within a yellowish-white matrix. The piece is a fractured nodule revealing its intricate internal structure.
Variscite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
3.5Crystal System
orthorhombicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
good on {010}, poor on {100} and {110}Fracture
conchoidalSpecific Gravity
2.5Colors
blue-green, green, yellowish-green, whiteTransparency
translucentType Locality
Clay Canyon, Fairfield, UtahMineral Group
PhosphatesUses
jewelry, ornamental stone, collectorAssociated Minerals
montgomeryite, crandallite, wardite, strengite, wavelliteRarity
uncommonGeological Context
Variscite is a secondary mineral that forms in aluminum-rich rocks through the action of phosphate-bearing waters, typically found in veins, nodules, and crusts within phosphate-rich sedimentary rocks or altered igneous environments.
