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Maxwellite

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Squaw Creek Mine, Taylor Creek Tin District (Black Range Tin District), Sierra Co., New Mexico, USA
© Stephan Wolfsried

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Formula:
NaFe
3+
 
(AsO
 
4
)F
System:MonoclinicHardness:5 - 5½
Member of:Tilasite Group
Name:After Charles Henry Maxwell (1923– ), geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, who studied the Taylor Creek district.
Isostructural with:Titanite


Tilasite Group. Durangite-Maxwellite Series, Maxwellite-Tilasite Series.

Classification of Maxwellite

IMA status:Approved 1987
Strunz 8th edition ID:7/B.25-55
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:8.BH.10

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H2O
H : With medium-sized and large cations, (OH,etc.):RO4 = 1:1
Dana 8th edition ID:41.5.5.3

41 : ANHYDROUS PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
5 : (AB)2(XO4)Zq
Hey's CIM Ref.:22.1.21

22 : Phosphates, Arsenates or Vanadates with other Anions
1 : Phosphates, arsenates or vanadates with fluoride
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Type Occurrence of Maxwellite

Type Locality:Squaw Creek Mine, Taylor Creek Tin District (Black Range Tin District), Sierra Co., New Mexico, USA
Year of Discovery:1987
Geological Setting of type material:Formed as a rarity in miarolitic cavities in rhyolite adjacent to high-temperature veins in a hydrothermal tin deposit.
Associated Minerals at type locality:
TripuhyiteTridymiteTilasiteStilbiteSanidine
QuartzPseudobrookiteHeulanditeHematiteGasparite-(Ce)
Chernovite-(Y)CassiteriteCalcite

Physical Properties of Maxwellite

Hardness (Mohs):5 - 5½

Crystallography of Maxwellite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Cell Parameters:a = 7.16Å, b = 8.78Å, c = 6.68Å
β = 114.58°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.815 : 1 : 0.761
Unit Cell Volume:V 381.88 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Optical Data of Maxwellite

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.748 nβ = 1.772 nγ = 1.798
2V:Measured: 86° to 89°, Calculated: 90°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.050

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Very High
Dispersion:r > v strong

Chemical Properties of Maxwellite

Formula:
NaFe
3+
 
(AsO
 
4
)F
Essential elements:As, F, Fe, Na, O
All elements listed in formula:As, F, Fe, Na, O

Relationship of Maxwellite to other Species

Series:Forms a series with Durangite (see here)
Forms a series with Tilasite (see here)
Member of:Tilasite Group
Other Members of Group:

- +
Durangite
NaAl(AsO
 
4
)F
Isokite
CaMg(PO
 
4
)F
Lacroixite
NaAl(PO
 
4
)F
Panasqueiraite
CaMg(PO
 
4
)(OH,F)
Tilasite
CaMg(AsO
 
4
)F
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
8.BH.05Thadeuite
Ca(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
3
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH,F)
 
2
8.BH.10Durangite
NaAl(AsO
 
4
)F
8.BH.10Isokite
CaMg(PO
 
4
)F
8.BH.10Lacroixite
NaAl(PO
 
4
)F
8.BH.10Panasqueiraite
CaMg(PO
 
4
)(OH,F)
8.BH.10Tilasite
CaMg(AsO
 
4
)F
8.BH.15Drugmanite
Pb(Fe
3+
 
,Al)
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
8.BH.20Bjarebyite
(Ba,Sr)(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
,Mg)
 
2
Al
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH)
 
3
8.BH.20Cirrolite
Ca
 
3
Al
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH)
 
3
 (?)
8.BH.20Kulanite
Ba(Fe
2+
 
,Mn
2+
 
,Mg)
 
2
(Al,Fe
3+
 
)
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH)
 
3
8.BH.20Penikisite
Ba(Mg,Fe
2+
 
,Ca)
 
2
Al
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH)
 
3
8.BH.20Perloffite
Ba(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
Fe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH)
 
3
8.BH.20Johntomaite
BaFe
2+
2
Fe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH)
 
3
8.BH.25Bertossaite
(Li,Na)
 
2
(Ca,Fe
2+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)Al
 
4
(PO
 
4
)
 
4
(OH,F)
 
4
8.BH.25Palermoite
(Li,Na)
 
2
(Sr,Ca)Al
 
4
(PO
 
4
)
 
4
(OH)
 
4
8.BH.30Carminite
PbFe
3+
2
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
8.BH.30Sewardite
CaFe
3+
2
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
8.BH.35Adelite
CaMg(AsO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.35Arsendescloizite
PbZn(AsO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.35Austinite
CaZn(AsO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.35Cobaltaustinite
CaCo(AsO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.35Conichalcite
CaCu(AsO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.35Duftite
PbCu(AsO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.35Gabrielsonite
PbFe(AsO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.35Nickelaustinite
Ca(Ni,Zn)(AsO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.35Tangeite
CaCu(VO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.35Gottlobite
CaMg(VO
 
4
,AsO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.35Hermannroseite
CaCu(PO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.40Čechite
Pb(Fe
2+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)(VO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.40Descloizite
Pb(Zn,Cu)(VO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.40Mottramite
PbCu(VO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.40Pyrobelonite
PbMn
2+
 
(VO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BH.45Bayldonite
PbCu
 
3
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
8.BH.45Vésigniéite
BaCu
 
3
(VO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
8.BH.50Paganoite
NiBi(AsO
 
4
)O
8.BH.55Jagowerite
BaAl
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
8.BH.55Carlgieseckeite-(Nd)
NaNdCa
 
3
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
F
8.BH.60Attakolite
(Ca,Sr)Mn(Al,Fe)
 
4
(HPO
 
4
,PO
 
4
)
 
3
(SiO
 
4
,PO
 
4
)(OH)
 
4
8.BH.65Leningradite
PbCu
 
3
(VO
 
4
)
 
2
Cl
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
22.1.1Amblygonite
LiAl(PO
 
4
)F
22.1.2Lacroixite
NaAl(PO
 
4
)F
22.1.3Natrophosphate
Na
 
7
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
F · 19H
 
2
O
22.1.5Nacaphite
Na
 
2
Ca(PO
 
4
)F
22.1.6Arctite
Na
 
2
Ca
 
4
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
F
22.1.7Nefedovite
Na
 
5
Ca
 
4
(PO
 
4
)
 
4
F
22.1.9Fluorapatite
Ca
 
5
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
F
22.1.10Herderite
CaBePO
 
4
(F,OH)
22.1.11Isokite
CaMg(PO
 
4
)F
22.1.12Panasqueiraite
CaMg(PO
 
4
)(OH,F)
22.1.13Babefphite
BaBePO
 
4
(F,OH)
22.1.14Fluellite
Al
 
2
(PO
 
4
)F
 
2
(OH) · 7H
 
2
O
22.1.15Minyulite
KAl
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH,F) · 4H
 
2
O
22.1.16Morinite
NaCa
 
2
Al
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)F
 
4
 · 2H
 
2
O
22.1.17Bøggildite
Na
 
2
Sr
 
2
Al
 
2
PO
 
4
F
 
9
22.1.18Fluorstrophite
SrCaSr
 
3
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
F
22.1.19Viitaniemiite
Na(Ca,Mn
2+
 
)Al(PO
 
4
)(F,OH)
 
3
22.1.20Väyrynenite
Mn
2+
 
Be(PO
 
4
)(OH,F)
22.1.22Wagnerite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
(PO
 
4
)F
22.1.23Triplite
(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
(PO
 
4
)(F,OH)
22.1.24Magniotriplite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)
 
2
PO
 
4
F
22.1.25Zwieselite
(Fe
2+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)
 
2
(PO
 
4
)F
22.1.26Mcauslanite
HFe
2+
3
Al
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
4
F · 18H
 
2
O
22.1.27Richellite
CaFe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH,F)
 
2
22.1.28Svabite
Ca
 
5
(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
F
22.1.29Tilasite
CaMg(AsO
 
4
)F
22.1.30Johnbaumite-M
Ca
 
5
(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
OH
22.1.31Durangite
NaAl(AsO
 
4
)F

Other Names for Maxwellite

Synonyms:
IMA1987-044
Other Languages:
German:Maxwellit
Russian:Максуэллит
Spanish:Maxwellita

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Maxwellite

Reference List:

- +
Foord, E.E., P.F. Hlava, J.J. Fitzpatrick, R.C. Erd, and R.W. Hinton (1991) Maxwellite and squawcreekite, two new minerals from the Black Range tin district, Catron County, New Mexico, U.S.A. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte, 363–384. (2) (1992).

American Mineralogist: 77: 449 (abstract).

Cooper, M.A. and F.C. Hawthorne (1995) The crystal structure of maxwellite. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte, 97–104.

New Minerals (1997), New Minerals 1990-1994.

Internet Links for Maxwellite

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    • Localities for Maxwellite

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    (TL) indicates type locality. ? indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. All other localities listed without reference should be considered as uncertain and unproven until references can be found.
    USA
     
    • New Mexico
      • Sierra Co.
    		Northrop, Minerals of New Mexico, 3rd Rev. Ed., 1996
    Minerals of New Mexico 3rd ed.
    Northrop, Minerals of New Mexico, 3rd Rev. Ed., 1996
    Northrop, Minerals of New Mexico, 3rd Rev. Ed., 1996; Mineralogical Record: 20(5): 404.
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