Väyrynenite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

  
Väyrynenite is named after Heikki Allen Väyrynen (1888-1956), professor of mineralogy, Technical Institute, Helsinski, Finland.

Discovered in 1954.  IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

Mn²⁺Be(PO₄)(OH)

Manganese Beryllium Phosphate Hydroxide

  Molecular Weight:

176.43 gm

  Composition:

Manganese

31.14 %

Mn

40.21 %

MnO

Beryllium

5.11 %

Be

14.18 %

BeO

Phosphorus

17.56 %

P

40.23 %

P₂O₅

Hydrogen

0.43 %

H

3.83 %

H₂O

Oxygen

43.08 %

O

Fluorine

2.79 %

F

2.69 %

F

 -  %

F

-1.13 %

-O=F₂

100.00 %

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Phosphates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

7/B.01-50

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

7 : Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates
B : Waterfree phosphates with unfamiliar anions F, Cl, O, OH
01 : Herderite - Babefphite series

Related to:

Herderite Group.

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Monoclinic - Prismatic

Crystal Habit:

Rare prismatic crystals, elongated and striated, a number of additional modifying forms, to 6 cm; typically in fine-grained aggregates.

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

[010] Perfect, [100] Good, [001] Fair

Fracture:

Uneven/Irregular

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

5.0

Density:

3.183 - 3.215 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

None

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Optical Properties

Color:

Rose-Red, Salmon-Pink, pale Pink, Brownish Pink, pale Gray

Transparency:

Transparent to Translucent

Luster:

Vitreous

Refractive Index:

1.638 - 1.667  Biaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.0260 - 0.0270

Dispersion:

Weak to Moderate; r > v

Pleochroism:

X = orangish; Y = red; Z = dark red

Occurances

Geological Setting:

An alteration product of beryl and triphylite in complex zoned granite pegmatites.

Common Associations:

Eosphorite, Moraesite, Hurlbutite, Beryllonite, Amblygonite, Apatite, Tourmaline, Topaz, Muscovite, Microcline, Quartz.

Type Locality:

Viitaniemi pegmatite, Eräjärvi area, Orivesi, Etelä-Suomen Lääni, Finland

Year Discovered:

1954

View mineral photos:

Väyrynenite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Väyrynenite is a very rare collector's gem rarely seen in the gem market. Väyrynenite is found in facet grade in a couple locations; Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was discovered at Viitaniemi, Erajarvi, Finland, but not gem grade. Very few gems are known to exist and are typically very small and heavily included. Colors are pale pink to rose red. To mineral collectors, Väyrynenite is considered one of the "holy grails" of rare Pakistani and Afghani mineral species. The other is Triplite which comes from the same regions.
 

  
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