News from Excalibur

I report the follow minerals from the CATALOG 20903 - Vol. XXXVI, No. 3 - Posted April 12,2009.

ARDENNITE-(V)- Sparone, Valle di Locana, Piemonte, Italy
This relatively NEW SPECIEs occurs as yellowish-orange to brownish elongated aggregates frozen in pinkish matrix, here from the TYPE locality, most accurately noted as "Rio dei Piane, Feilongo". IMA # 2005-037, the vanadium analog of the more common AsO4 ardennite. Only a few specimens, sizes from about 2cm to 3.5cm.

CRYPTOPHYLLITE- Tsentral'nyi Mine, Rasvumchoor Mt., Russia
This NEW SPECIES was discovered during XRD study on IMA #2008-062, and it forms colorless split or curved lamellae to 0.2mm, often as intergrowths with the aforementioned mineral, being both chemically and structurally related to it, although more uncommon at the locality. Both species represent a new structural type of phyllosilicate. Formula: KCa[Si4O10]*5H2O - monoclinic. Associations include lamprophyllite, eudialite, K-feldspar, aegirine etc.. IMA #2008-061, from the TYPE (and only) locality, sizes 2.5cm to 4cm.

FLUORO-POTASSICHASTINGSITE- Greenwood Mine, Orange Co., New York
This NEW SPECIES occurs as brilliant, black aggregates richly comprising matrix, typically intergrown with minor granular magnetite. A fluorine-domiant Ca-Fe amphibole, IMA #2005-006, here from the TYPE locality for the species. Rich specimens accompanied by a copy of our analytical data, ranging in size from about 2cm to nearly 5cm across.

HYDROXYLWAGNERITE- Dora-Maira Massif, Cuneo, Piemonte, Italy
This relatively NEW SPECIES occurs as small, somewhat creamy-beige colored masses and aggregates scattered in a highly micaceous quartzite matrix, most with tiny pyrope masses as well. Formula: Mg2(PO4)(OH)-monoclinic. IMA #2004-009, from the TYPE locality, also more properly noted as "Brossasco, Vallone Giba, Varaita Valley" in the Dora-Maira massif. Specimens from about 3cm to nearly 6cm.

SHLYKOVITE- Tsentral'nyi Mine, Rasvumchorr Mt., Russia
Another NEW SPECIES from Khibiny, occurring as minute scaly lamellae to 0.5mm and as thinly fibrous aggregates of similar size in veinlets and cracks, typically greyish white to somewhat beige in color, all showing a pearly luster, associated with potassic feldspar, eudialyte, alkali amphibole, ilmenite and a potential host of other possibilities. Formula: KCa[Si4O9(OH)]*3H2O, monoclinic. IMA #2008-062, a phyllosilicate representing a new structural type! From the TYPE and only locality, specimens (with arrows) from about 2cm to 5cm across.

Thanks!

All were already in Mindat, except "hydroxylwagnerite".
Hydroxylwagnerite now added (although I suppose it will soon become "wagnerite-(OH)", if not already). Well, that's the big advantage of an online database; we can change it any time, which can't be done when a name is "fossilized" in print on paper )

Hi Alfredo,
the name is hydroxylwagnerite.

Some data from Italian Type Minerals.

""Hydroxylwagnerite Mg2(PO4)(OH)

8.BB.10 c, a 9.646, b 12.7314, c 11.980 Å, β 108.38°, V 544.9 Å3, Z 16

Type locality:
Vallone di Gilba, Dora-Maira Massif, San Giacomo, Brossasco, Val Varaita, Cuneo,
Piemonte.

Name:
For its relationship with wagnerite, the F-dominant analogue. The root name is after
F.M. von Wagner (1768-1851), mining official at Munich (Germany).

Status:
Approved, IMA 2004-009.

Appearance:
Creamy white; vitreous (earthy); centimetric masses formed by anhedral grained crystals, at the type locality,
and aggregates, up to some millimeters, of more yellow-brown micro-lamellae at Case Ramello, Martiniana
Po, Dora Maira massif, Cuneo, Piemonte.

Occurrence and distribution:
Very rare mineral found within pyrope megablasts and as an accessory rock-forming mineral in pyrope-kyanite-
phengite quartzite occurring as lenses within metagranite in the ultrahigh-pressure (UHP, coesite bearing)
metamorphic unit.

Remarks:
Related to triplite and zwieselite. Hydroxylwagnerite is the OH isotype of the more common wagnerite,
Mg2(PO4)F, with which it forms a series, and it is the high-pressure trimorph of althausite and holtedahlite.
At the Dora Maira Massif an OH-bearing wagnerite phase is commonly associated to hydroxylwagnerite.

References:
Chopin, C., Leyx, C., Armbruster, T., Medenbach, O.: in preparation.""

Yes, Marco, I know it's "hydroxylwagnerite", but my comment was that we can expect this to be *eventually*(?) changed to -(OH) suffix, like the apophyllites, apatites, etc.
I think it's a pity that this is not accomplished in one decision for all applicable series, to avoid this current long-drawn-out process of achieving harmony by inconsistent decisions in bits and pieces.

OK Alfredo.

Was hydroxylwagnerite published so far?