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Formula: NaNaMg(MgFe3+)(AsO4)3
Arsenate,
alluaudite group,
alluaudite supergroup
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 4.016 calculated
Hardness: 3½
Streak: white to pale greenish or pale yellowish
Colour: Green, grey, yellow, colourless
Environments
Badalovite is a relatively new mineral, approved in 2016.
Localities
At Mt Calvario, Biancavilla, Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily, Italy, two
alluaudite group minerals, badalovite and
calciojohillerite, have been identified on a specimen from the
Monte Calvario quarry. For both species, this finding represents the second world occurrence. Badalovite
occurs as vitreous to resinous aggregates of yellowish to brownish prismatic crystals, up to 0.5 mm in length,
associated with tabular crystals of hematite,
pseudobrookite and an
amphibole supergroup mineral. Badalovite is intimately
intergrown with minor calciojohillerite
(MM 89.4.526–534).
At the type locality, the Arsenatnaya fumarole, Second scoria cone, Northern Breakthrough, Great Fissure eruption,
Tolbachik Volcanic field, Milkovsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia, badalovite is associated with
hematite, tenorite,
cassiterite, johillerite,
nickenichite,
calciojohillerite,
bradaczekite,
metathénardite,
aphthitalite, langbeinite,
calciolangbeinite,
sanidine,
fluorophlogopite,
fluoborite, tilasite,
anhydrite, pseudobrookite,
sylvite, halite,
lammerite, urusovite,
ericlaxmanite,
arsmirandite, svabite,
krasheninnikovite,
euchlorine, wulffite and
alumoklyuchevskite.
Badalovite forms oblique-angled prismatic crystals up to 1 mm × 1 mm × 5 mm, typically combined in groups or
crusts up to several hundred cm2 in area. It is transparent, green, grey, yellow or colourless,
with a vitreous lustre
(MM 84.4.616-622).
The mineral was deposited directly from the gas phase as a volcanic sublimate or, more probably, formed as a result
of the interaction between fumarolic gas and basalt
scoria at a temperature not lower than 450oC.
(Mindat).
Badalovite from the Arsenatnaya fumarole -
Image
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