Pliniusite

pliniusite

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Formula: Ca5(VO4)3F
Vanadate, apatite group, apatite supergroup
Crystal System: Hexagonal
Specific gravity: 3.402 calculated
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless or white
Environments

Metamorphic environments
Fumeroles

Pliniusite is a relatively new mineral, approved in 2018.

Localities

There are two co-type localities, the Nahal Morag Canyon, Hatrurim Basin, Tamar Regional Council, Southern District, Israel, and the Southern fumarole field, Mountain 1004, Tolbachik Volcanic field, Milkovsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia.

At the Nahal Morag Canyon, Hatrurim Basin, Tamar Regional Council, Southern District, Israel, pliniusite and vanadium-bearing fluorapatite occur in schorlomite - gehlenite paralava with rankinite, walstromite, zadovite - aradite series minerals, magnesioferrite, hematite, khesinite, barioferrite, perovskite, gurimite, baryte, tenorite, delafossite, wollastonite and cuspidine. Pliniusite forms grains up to 0.02 mm in size (AM 107.1626-1634).

At the Arsenatnaya fumarole, Second scoria cone, Northern Breakthrough, Great Fissure eruption, Tolbachik Volcanic field, Milkovsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia, in sublimates of the active fumarole, pliniusitesvabitefluorapatite minerals coexist with anhydrite, diopside, hematite, berzeliite, schäferite, calciojohillerite, forsterite, enstatite, magnesioferrite, ludwigite, rhabdoborite group fluoroborates, powellite, baryte, udinaite, arsenudinaite, paraberzeliite and spinel. Pliniusite forms grains up to 0.02 mm in size (AM 107.1626-1634).

At the Southern fumarole field, Mountain 1004, Tolbachik Volcanic field, Milkovsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia, pliniusite was found in the fumarole deposits. Pliniusite, fluorapatite and svabite form an almost continuous ternary solid-solution system. In paleo-fumarolic deposits at Mountain 1004, members of this system, including the holotype pliniusite, are associated with hematite, tenorite, diopside, andradite, kainotropite, baryte and supergene volborthite, brochantite, gypsum and opal. The pliniusite forms hexagonal prismatic crystals up to 0.3 × 0.1 mm and open-work aggregates up to 2 mm across (AM 107.1626-1634).

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