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Richellite

Big Photo

Richelle, Visé, Liège Province, Belgium
© Arliguie M

Show Richellite Photos (2)
Formula:
Ca
 
3
Fe
3+
10
[(OH,F)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
4
 · nH
 
2
O (not confirmed)
System:AmorphousColour:Yellow to yellow-brown, ...
Hardness:2 - 3
Name:For the type locality at Richelle, Liège Province, Belgium.


Occurs as a secondary (?) mineral in phosphatic sedimentary rocks.

Classification of Richellite

IMA status:Questionable/Doubtful 1883
Explanation of status:Probably a former gel with variable chemical composition. Other amorphous Ca-Fe-phosphates have been described in the old literature. Unit-cell parameters refer to heated material.
Strunz 8th edition ID:7/B.08-70
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:8.BB.90

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H2O
B : With only medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 about 1:1
Dana 8th edition ID:42.13.2.1

42 : HYDRATED PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
13 : Miscellaneous
Hey's CIM Ref.:22.1.27

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

Type Locality:Richelle, Visé, Liège Province, Belgium
Place of Conservation of Type Material:University of Liège, Liège, Belgium: #9361, #9375.
Year of Discovery:1883
Geological Setting of type material:Phosphatic sedimentary rocks
Associated Minerals at type locality:
KoninckiteHalloysiteAllophane

Physical Properties of Richellite

Lustre:Sub-Vitreous, Greasy
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Semitransparent
Comment:Greasy to hornlike.
Colour:Yellow to yellow-brown, reddish brown
Streak:Reddish to yellowish brown
Hardness (Mohs):2 - 3

Crystallography of Richellite

Crystal System:Amorphous
Cell Parameters:a = 5.18Å, c = 12.61Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 2.434
Unit Cell Volume:V 0.00 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:1
Morphology:Radial-fibrous globules, foliated or compact. Commonly massive.
Comment:(Nearly) amorphous (reflections at ~15 and ~5.4 A, both very diffuse and broad). Heated (500°C) material is "tetragonal."

Optical Data of Richellite

Type:Isotropic

Chemical Properties of Richellite

Formula:
Ca
 
3
Fe
3+
10
[(OH,F)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
4
 · nH
 
2
O (not confirmed)
Essential elements:Ca, Fe, H, N, O, P
All elements listed in formula:Ca, F, Fe, H, O, P

Relationship of Richellite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
8.BB.05Amblygonite
(Li,Na)Al[(F,OH)|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.05Montebrasite
LiAl[(OH,F)|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.05Tavorite
LiFe
3+
 
[OH|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.10Triplite
(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
[(F,OH)|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.10Zwieselite
(Fe
2+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)
 
2
[F|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.10IMA2004-009
Mg
 
2
[PO
 
4
](OH)
8.BB.15Sarkinite
Mn
2+
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
]
8.BB.15Triploidite
(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.15Wagnerite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
[F|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.15Wolfeite
(Fe
2+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.15Stanĕkite
Fe
3+
 
(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
,Mg)[O|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.15Joosteite
Mn
2+
 
(Mn
3+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)[PO
 
4
]O
8.BB.20Holtedahlite
Mg
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.20Satterlyite
(Fe
2+
 
,Mg,Fe
3+
 
)
 
2
[(OH,O)|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.25Althausite
Mg
 
2
[(OH,F)|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.30Adamite
Zn
 
2
(AsO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BB.30Eveite
Mn
2+
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
]
8.BB.30Libethenite
Cu
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.30Olivenite
Cu
 
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
]
8.BB.30Zincolibethenite
CuZnPO
 
4
OH
8.BB.30Zincolivenite
CuZn(AsO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BB.35Paradamite
Zn
 
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
]
8.BB.35Tarbuttite
Zn
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
8.BB.40Barbosalite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
8.BB.40Hentschelite
CuFe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
8.BB.40Lazulite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
8.BB.40Scorzalite
(Fe
2+
 
,Mg)Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
8.BB.40Wilhelmkleinite
ZnFe
3+
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
]
 
2
8.BB.45Trolleite
Al
 
4
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
3
8.BB.50Namibite
Cu(BiO)
 
2
(VO
 
4
)(OH)
8.BB.55Phosphoellenbergerite
Mg
 
14
[(OH)
 
6
|(HPO
 
4
,CO
 
3
)
 
2
|(PO
 
4
)
 
6
]
8.BB.60Urusovite
Cu[AlAsO
 
5
]
8.BB.65Theoparacelsite
Cu
 
3
[(OH)
 
2
|As
 
2
O
 
7
]
8.BB.70Turanite
Cu
 
5
[(OH)
 
2
|VO
 
4
]
 
2
8.BB.75Stoiberite
Cu
 
5
[O
 
2
|(VO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BB.80Fingerite
Cu
 
11
[O
 
2
|(VO
 
4
)
 
6
]
8.BB.85Averievite
Cu
 
6
[O
 
2
|Cl
 
2
|(VO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BB.90Lipscombite
(Fe
2+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
8.BB.90Zinclipscombite
ZnFe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
22.1.1Amblygonite
(Li,Na)Al[(F,OH)|PO
 
4
]
22.1.2Lacroixite
NaAl[F|PO
 
4
]
22.1.3Natrophosphate
Na
 
7
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
F·19H
 
2
O
22.1.5Nacaphite
Na
 
2
Ca[F|PO
 
4
]
22.1.6Arctite
Na
 
2
Ca
 
4
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
F
22.1.7Nefedovite
Na
 
5
Ca
 
4
(PO
 
4
)
 
4
F
22.1.9Apatite-(CaF)
Ca
 
5
[F|(PO
 
4
)
 
3
]
22.1.10Herderite
CaBe[(F,OH)|PO
 
4
]
22.1.11Isokite
CaMg[F|PO
 
4
]
22.1.12Panasqueiraite
CaMg[(OH,F)|PO
 
4
]
22.1.13Babefphite
BaBe[(F,OH)|PO
 
4
]
22.1.14Fluellite
Al
 
2
[F
 
2
|OH|PO
 
4
] · 7H
 
2
O
22.1.15Minyulite
KAl
 
2
[(OH,F)|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 4H
 
2
O
22.1.16Morinite
Na
 
2
Ca
 
4
Al
 
4
[(F,OH)
 
5
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O
22.1.17Bøggildite
Na
 
2
Sr
 
2
Al
 
2
PO
 
4
F
 
9
22.1.18Apatite-(SrOH)
(Sr,Ca)
 
5
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH,F)
22.1.19Viitaniemiite
Na(Ca,Mn
2+
 
)Al[(F,OH)
 
3
|PO
 
4
]
22.1.20Väyrynenite
Mn
2+
 
Be[(OH,F)|PO
 
4
]
22.1.21Maxwellite
NaFe
3+
 
[F|AsO
 
4
]
22.1.22Wagnerite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
[F|PO
 
4
]
22.1.23Triplite
(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
[(F,OH)|PO
 
4
]
22.1.24Magniotriplite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)
 
2
[F|PO
 
4
]
22.1.25Zwieselite
(Fe
2+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)
 
2
[F|PO
 
4
]
22.1.26Mcauslanite
HFe
2+
3
Al
 
2
[F|(PO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 18H
 
2
O
22.1.28Svabite
Ca
 
5
[(F,Cl,OH)|(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
]
22.1.29Tilasite
CaMg[F|AsO
 
4
]
22.1.30Fermorite
(Ca,Sr)
 
5
(AsO
 
4
,PO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH)
22.1.31Durangite
NaAl[F|AsO
 
4
]

Other Names for Richellite

German names:
Richellit
Spanish names:
Richellita

Other Information

Other Information:Readily soluble in acids.
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 Richellite

Reference List:Cesàro and Desprets (1883) Société géologique de Belgique, Liége, Annales, Mémoires: 10: 36.

Cesàro (1884) Société géologique de Belgique, Liége, Annales, Mémoires: 11: 257.

Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged, 1124 pp.: 956-957.

McConnell, D. (1963) Thermocrystallization of richellite to produce a lazulite structure (calcium lipscombite). American Mineralogist 48, 300-307.

Jensen, M.C., J.C. Rota, and E.E. Foord (1995) The Gold Quarry mine, Carlin Trend, Eureka County, Nevada. Mineralogical Record, 26, 449–469.

Internet Links for Richellite

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    Localities for Richellite

    (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.
    Belgium
     
    • Liège Province
      • Visé
    		Ann.Mem.;Soc.géol.Belgique (1883) 10, 36; Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 763, 957.
    Spain
     
    • Catalonia
      • Barcelona
        • Baix Llobregat
          • Gavà
            • Bruguers
    		Bareche, E (2005) "Els minerals de Catalunya. Segle XX" Ed. Grup Mineralògic Català, Barcelona, 269 p.
    USA
     
    • Nevada
      • Eureka Co.
        • Lynn District
          • Elko
    		MinRecord 26:467
        • Maggie Creek District
    		MinRec 26(5):449-469.
    Mineral and/or Locality
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