Nevadaite

Nevadaite is a rare phosphate mineral with a chemical formula of

Nevadaite
Nevadaite - radial habit. Attribution: Leon Hupperichs
General
Category	Phosphate minerals
Formula (repeating unit)	see text
IMA symbol	Nev
Strunz classification	8.DC.60
Crystal system	Orthorhombic
Crystal class	Disphenoidal (222) H-M symbol: (222)
Space group	P21mn
Unit cell	a = 12.123 Å b = 18.999 Å c = 4.961 Å; Z = 1
Identification
Color	Pale Green, turquoise
Crystal habit	Acicular, crystalline, radial
Cleavage	None
Fracture	Conchoidal
Mohs scale hardness	3
Luster	Vitreous
Streak	pale blue
Diaphaneity	Translucent
Specific gravity	2.54
Optical properties	Biaxial (-)
References

Cu2Zn0.02V3+0.98Al1.15Al8P7.9O32F8.37(OH)1.63(H2O)21.65

Characteristics

Nevadaite is a pale-green to turquoise colored mineral belonging to the phosphate group. It exhibits a radial crystal habit consisting of prismatic crystals covering areas up to 2 cm. It has a pale-blue streak, a vitreous luster, and is not fluorescent. Nevadaite is in the orthorhombic crystal system and displays conchoidal fracture.

Location

Hazy aerial view of Gold Quarry mine

Nevadaite was first discovered in the Gold Quarry mine near the town of Carlin, Eureka County, Nevada. The unique conditions and amounts of phosphate, vanadate, arsenate, and uranate in this area led to the formation of two new minerals; one being nevadaite and the other being goldquarryite. The Gold Quarry mine has been operated by The Newmont Mining Corporation since 1985 for the extraction of Carlin-type gold deposits.

Nevadaite was discovered in February 1992 by Martin C. Jensen and was approved by the International Mineralogical Association in 2002. It is also found in a copper mine in Kyrgyzstan.