Amblygonite

amblygonite

spodumene

lepidolite

tourmaline

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Formula: LiAl(PO4)F
Anhydrous phosphate containing halogen, amblygonite group, lithium-bearing mineral, forms a series with montebrasite
Crystal System: Triclinic
Specific gravity: 3.04 to 3.11 measured, 3.11 calculated
Hardness: 6
Streak: White
Colour: White, grey, yellow to brown, greenish, bluish
Luminescence: May fluoresce faint to medium cream yellow in short wave and long wave UV. Often shows patchy response.
Solubility: Amblygonite is slightly soluble in hydrochloric, sulphuric or nitric acid
Environments:

Plutonic igneous environments
Pegmatites

Amblygonite is a rare phosphate typically found in lithium-rich granite pegmatites, in high-temperature tin veins and in greisens.
Common associates in pegmatites include lacroixite, fluorapatite, lithiophilite, petalite, pollucite, spodumene, tourmaline, lepidolite, apatite and triphylite
In greisens the associates are cassiterite, topaz and mica (HOM).

Localities

At the type locality, Chursdorf, Penig, Mittelsachsen, Saxony, Germany, massive amblygonite occurs in a granite pegmatite, associated with tourmaline and topaz (Mindat).

Alteration

Amblygonite alters to mixtures of smectite group minerals or kaolinite and mica, often as alterations rimming or surrounding rounded nodules of unaltered material. Amblygonite also alters to lacroixite, turquoise, wavellite, wardite and morinite (Mindat).

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