Florencite

minerals

monazite

bastnasite

ankerite

Formulae:
florencite-(Ce) CeAl3(PO4)2(OH)6
florencite-(La) LaAl3(PO4)2(OH)6
florencite-(Nd) NdAl3(PO4)2(OH)6
Anhydrous phosphate containing hydroxyl, plumbogummite group, alunite supergroup
Data for florencite-(Ce)
Crystal System: Trigonal
Specific gravity: 3.45 to 3.54
Hardness: 5 to 6
Streak: White
Colour: Pale yellow to butterscotch-yellow, red-orange, pink, pale brown, colourless to grey, colourless to pale yellow in thin section, may be zoned
Weakly RADIOACTIVE
Environments

Carbonatites
Sedimentary environments

Florencite-(Ce) occurs as a weathering product, typically of apatite, in highly argillised igneous rocks, bauxite, saprolite and carbonatites. It is authigenic (formed in place) in shale and sandstone, and it is also formed by the interaction of guano-reacted waters with gabbroic rock. In sedimentary environments it is associated with kaolinite, muscovite, alunite, siderite and quartz. In carbonatites it is associated with monazite, bastnäsite, apatite, ankerite, strontianite, baryte, sphalerite and quartz (HOM).

Localities

At the Mount Lyell Mines, Queenstown district, West Coast municipality, Tasmania, Australia, florencite-(Ce) occurs as fine-grained aggregates in pyrite-chalcopyrite-siderite-quartz ores (AJM 21.2.4).

The type locality is Mata dos Crioulos, Santo Antônio do Itambé, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

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