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Phosphophyllite
Current inventory:  4 gems
 

Chemistry:  Zn₂Fe(PO₄)₂·4(H₂O) (Note: material from Bolivia lacks Manganese - Mn)

Discovered in 1920;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
The name Phosphophyllite comes from the Greek words meaning phosphate leaf in allusion to both its chemistry and cleavage.

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Phosphates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

7/C.11-10

7 : Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates
C : Water-bearing phosphates without unfamiliar anions. cations of medium and small size: Be and Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mg
11 : Phosphophyllite - Fahleite series

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Monoclinic - Prismatic

Crystal Habit:

Crystals tend to be thick tabular, many other forms, to 13 cm.

Twinning:

Common as contact twins giving “fishtail” shapes and as penetration twins, may be polysynthetic.

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

[100] Perfect, [010] Distinct, [102] Distinct

Fracture:

Uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

3.0 - 3.5

Density:

3.08 - 3.13 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

Fluoresces violet in SW

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Optical Properties

Color:

Pale to medium dark Bluish Green, Sea-Green, Colorless

Transparency:

Transparent

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Refractive Index:

1.595 - 1.620  Biaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.0210 - 0.0330

Dispersion:

Perceptible, r > v

Pleochroism:

X = colorless, Y = pale blue green, Z = pale blue green

Occurances

Geological Setting:

Typically a secondary mineral in zoned complex granite pegmatites, an alteration product of sphalerite and Fe–Mn phosphates; in hydrothermal vein deposits.

Type Locality:

Hagendorf North Pegmatite (Meixner Feldspar Pit), Hagendorf, Waidhaus, Vohenstrauß, Oberpfälzer Wald, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany

Year Discovered:

1920

View mineral photos:

Phosphophyllite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Phosphophyllite is an extremely rare mineral and gemstone. It is one of the rarest gems in the world. Phosphophyllite is highly prized by both mineral specimen collectors and gem collectors for its unique and beautifully delicate bluish-green color. Phosphophyllite is a rare zinc mineral that is only found in a few locations. Gem-quality crystals only come from the Unificada Mine, Cerro Rico, Potosí City, Potosí Department, Bolivia. The first crystals were found there in the mid-1950's in the Krause vein. None have been found since that are nearly as beautiful. Crystals have also been found at the Cornelia Mine, Hagendorf, Bavaria, Germany but these are very small and pale and do not come close to the amazing color of crystals from Bolivia. Very small, pale crystals have also been found at the Foote Mine, Kings Mountain District, Cleveland Co., North Carolina, USA. Both of these locations only produce very small crystals that are too small to facet. Faceted gems are extremely rare because Phosphophyllite crystals are usually kept as mineral specimens. Most crystals found at the famous Bolivian locality are kept by mineral collectors so gem grade crystals are rarely available. Usually only broken crystals and fragments are used to facet gems so gems are typically small. Phosphophyllite crystals are among the hardest to obtain and the most expensive. That goes for faceted gems also.
 

  
Phosphophyllite gems for sale: