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Eosphorite
Current inventory:  1 gem
 

Chemistry:  (Mn,Fe)AlPO₄(OH)₂  • H₂O

Discovered in 1878;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
The name is from the Greek word eosphoros, meaning dawn-bearing after the pink color.

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Phosphates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

7/D.14-20

7 : Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates
D : Water-bearing phosphates with unfamiliar anions, mostly cations of small size: Be, Li
14 : Childrenite - Ernstite series

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Monoclinic - Prismatic

Crystal Habit:

Typically as crystals, short to long prismatic, to 20 cm; in planar radial or spherical radiating groups, with wedge-shaped terminations; globular, rarely massive.

Twinning:

May show twinning, observed optically, to give pseudo-orthorhombic symmetry; perhaps due to oxidation.

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

[100] Poor

Fracture:

Subconchoidal to Uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

5.0

Density:

3.06 - 3.08 (g/cm³)

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Optical Properties

Color:

Pink to rose-red, pinkish orange, commonly brown to black when oxidized

Transparency:

Transparent to Translucent

Luster:

Vitreous to Resinous

Refractive Index:

1.628 - 1.671  Biaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.029 - 0.032

Dispersion:

Strong

Pleochroism:

X = yellow; Y = pink; Z = pale pink to colorless.

Occurances

Geological Setting:

Typically a secondary mineral in some phosphate-bearing granite pegmatites.

Type Locality:

Branchville Mica mine (Branchville Quarry; Fillow Quarry), Branchville, Fairfield Co., Connecticut, USA.

Year Discovered:

1878

View mineral photos:

Eosphorite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Eosphorite is a rare gem found in hues of pink and orange. A very attractive collector's gem that is too soft for jewelry. It is typically slightly to heavily included since clean crystals are very rare.
 

  
Eosphorite gems for sale: