Hureaulite A manganese phosphate mineral that forms from altered minerals in granitic pegmatites, th

Hureaulite A manganese phosphate mineral that forms from altered minerals in granitic pegmatites, those last remnants of magmas that are fluid rich and have distilled all sorts of oddball elements from the depths of the Earth and then precipitate exotic minerals galore as they freeze. The initial minerals are then altered by interaction with weathering and percolating groundwaters of diverse chemistry. It was named in 1826 after the type locality: a French village where it was first found. Colour is most often pink, though red, orange, violet, rose and brown material is also known. While it is just about hard enough to cut (4-5 on Mohs scale) faceted gems are near unknown, though it is popular with mineral collectors. It is also found at the Jocao (now Cigana) mine in Brazil, Portugal, and Pala in California. The 2.8 x 2.1 x 1.6 cm specimen in the photos was mined in Bavaria and displays very large crystals for the species. The mineral is vulnerable to acids, so avoid contact to prevent damage. LozImage credit: Rob Lavinsky/iRocks.comhttps://www.mindat.org/min-1952.htmlhttp://bit.ly/2G7yI8dhttp://www.galleries.com/Hureaulite -- source link

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