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Wardite

Hydrated phosphate mineral

Field	Value
name	Wardite
image	Wardite.jpg
caption	Wardite from Rapid Creek – Yukon, Canada
category	Phosphate minerals
formula	NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4·2(H2O)
IMAsymbol	Wd
strunz	8.DL.10
system	Tetragonal
class	Trapezohedral (422)
H-M symbol: (4 2 2)
symmetry	P41212
unit cell	a = 7.03(1), c = 19.04(1) Å;
Z = 4
color	White, colorless, pale green, blue-green, yellow-green, pale yellow, yellow pink.
habit	Dipyramidal pseudo-octahedral crystals, striated; radial, fibrous, encrustations
cleavage	Perfect on {001}
mohs	5
luster	Vitreous
diaphaneity	Transparent to opaque
gravity	2.81–2.87
opticalprop	Uniaxial (+)
refractive	nω = 1.586 – 1.594 nε = 1.595 – 1.604
birefringence	δ = 0.009
2V	0.0
references

H-M symbol: (4 2 2) Z = 4 | length fast/slow =

Wardite is a hydrous sodium aluminium phosphate hydroxide mineral with formula: NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4·2(H2O). Wardite is of interest for its rare crystallography. It crystallizes in the tetragonal trapezohedral class and is one of only a few minerals in that class. Wardite forms vitreous green to bluish green to white to colorless crystals, with pyramidal {102} or {114} faces and with {001} usually present masses. Also appears as fibrous encrustations. It has a Mohs hardness of 5 and a specific gravity of 2.81–2.87.

Wardite was named for Henry Augustus Ward (1834–1906) of the University of Rochester in New York. It first described in 1896 for an occurrence in Clay Canyon, Fairfield, Utah County, Utah, US.

Occurrence

It occurs with variscite in phosphate nodules and occurs uncommonly in pegmatites and phosphate deposits through alteration of amblygonite.

Wardite is a rare mineral, which has been found in approximately 70 locations worldwide, but generally on a microscopic scale, with only a few occurrences of significant specimens. The finest specimens, boasting crystals up to 4 cm in size, originate from Rapid Creek and the Big Fish River in the Dawson mining district, Alaska (USA). Good quality specimens, measuring up to 1 cm, have also been discovered in Lavra da Ilha, Taquaral, Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In Spain, it appears in the form of crystals up to 1 cm found in cavities within montebrasite at the Tita mine in Golpejas, Salamanca.

References

Mineral galleries

References

Warr, L.N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine.
[http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/wardite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy]
[http://www.mindat.org/min-4242.html Mindat.org]
[http://webmineral.com/data/Wardite.shtml Webmineral data]
Gaines, R.V., W. Skinner, C.W., Foord, E.E., Mason, B. Rosenzweig, A.. (1997). "Dana's new mineralogy". John Wiley & Sons, Inc..
"Wardite. Mindat".
Robinson, G. W., Van Velthuizen, J, Ansell, H. G. y Sturman, B.D. "Mineralogy of the Rapid Creek and Big Fish River Area, Yukon Territory". The Mineralogical Record.
Calvo, Miguel. (2015). "Minerales y Minas de España. Vol. VII. Fosfatos, Arseniatos y Vanadatos". Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Minas de Madrid. Fundación Gómez Pardo.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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sodium-minerals aluminium-minerals phosphate-minerals tetragonal-minerals minerals-in-space-group-92

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