Vanarsite
This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
Formula:
NaCa12(As3+V5+8.5V4+3.5As5+6O51)2·78H2O
Colour:
Very dark blue
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
2
Specific Gravity:
2.48
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
One of a few polyoxometalate minerals from the Packrat mine, that include the related morrisonite and packratite; compare other Ca-As-V bearing similar species: gatewayite and kegginite.
Classification of Vanarsite
Physical Properties of Vanarsite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Very dark blue
Streak:
Grayish blue
Hardness:
2 on Mohs scale
Comment:
~ 2
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Imperfect/Fair
{100}
{100}
Density:
2.48(2) g/cm3 (Measured) 2.460 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Vanarsite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.645(5) nβ = 1.677 nγ = 1.681
2V:
Measured: 37° (2)
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.036

Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
High
Dispersion:
Not observable
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
X cornflower blue, Y dark blue, Z dark blue; X << Z~Y
Chemical Properties of Vanarsite
Formula:
NaCa12(As3+V5+8.5V4+3.5As5+6O51)2·78H2O
IMA Formula:
NaCa12(As3+V5+8.5V4+3.5As5+6O51)2 · 78H2O
Crystallography of Vanarsite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
P21/b
Setting:
P21/c
Cell Parameters:
a = 25.8902(8) Å, b = 10.9468(3) Å, c = 28.2980(8) Å
γ = 102.252(1)°
γ = 102.252(1)°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 2.365 : 1 : 2.585
Warning: deg2rad() expects parameter 1 to be float, string given in /home/mindat/www/include.php on line 9361
Unit Cell V:
0.00 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing | Intensity |
---|---|
13.1 | (100) |
10.0 | (98) |
9.3 | (63) |
7.87 | (56) |
4.44 | (31) |
3.339 | (33) |
2.962 | (32) |
2.772 | (30) |
Comments:
From Type Description.
Type Occurrence of Vanarsite
General Appearance of Type Material:
On montroseite- and corvusite-bearing sandstone
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Type material is deposited in the mineralogical collections of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California, USA, catalogue numbers 64149 and 64150
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Vanarsite
Fluorescence of Vanarsite
None
Other Information
Notes:
insol. RT H2O; easily sol. RT dil. HCL
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
References for Vanarsite
Reference List:
Sort by Year (asc) | by Year (desc) | by Author (A-Z) | by Author (Z-A)
Kampf, A.R., Hughes, J.M., Marty, J. and Nash, B.P. (2014) Vanarsite, IMA 2014- 031. CNMNC Newsletter No. 21, August 2014, page 802; Mineralogical Magazine, 78, 797-804.
Kampf, A.R., Hughes, J.M., Nash, B.P., Marty, J. (2016): Vanarsite, Packratite, Morrisonite, and Gatewayite: Four New Minerals Containing the [As3+V4+,5+12As5+6O51] Heteropolyanion, A Novel Polyoxometalate Cluster. Canadian Mineralogist. 54: 145-162.
Internet Links for Vanarsite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-46169.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
Search Engines:
External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
Localities for Vanarsite
Locality List




All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
USA (TL) | |
| Kampf, A.R., Hughes, J.M., Marty, J. and Nash, B.P. (2014) Vanarsite, IMA 2014- 031. CNMNC Newsletter No. 21, August 2014, page 802; Mineralogical Magazine, 78, 797-804. |