Wardite
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Archaeodontosaurus" title="User:Archaeodontosaurus">Didier Descouens</a> (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mineral NameWardite
Chemical FormulaNaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4·2H2O
Mohs Hardness5
Crystal Systemtetragonal
Lustervitreous
Streak Colorwhite
Cleavagegood on {001}
Fractureuneven
Specific Gravity2.79
Colorspale yellowish-green, colorless
Transparencytranslucent
Type LocalityRapid Creek, Dawson Mining District, Yukon Territory, Canada
Mineral GroupPhosphates
Usescollector
Associated Mineralslazulite, augelite, gormanite, quartz
Rarityuncommon
Description
This specimen features several well-formed, pale yellowish-green to colorless, translucent tetragonal bipyramidal crystals of Wardite, with the largest crystal being approximately 1 cm across, set on a dark, earthy matrix.
Geological Context
Wardite is a secondary phosphate mineral typically found in phosphate-rich pegmatites or in metamorphic rocks that have undergone hydrothermal alteration, often forming in vugs and fractures.
