Roscoelite | |
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General | |
Category | Phyllosilicate |
Formula (repeating unit) | K(V3+,Al,Mg)2AlSi3O10(OH)2 |
IMA symbol | Rcl[1] |
Strunz classification | 9.EC.15 |
Crystal system | Monoclinic |
Crystal class | Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol) |
Space group | C2/m |
Identification | |
Formula mass | 426.53 g/mol |
Colour | olive-green to green-brown |
Crystal habit | scales, fans, druses, rosettes, fibrous or felted aggregate. |
Cleavage | Perfect plane {0,0,1} |
Fracture | platy |
Mohs scale hardness | 1 |
Lustre | pearly |
Diaphaneity | semi-transparent to translucent |
Specific gravity | 2.92 - 2.96 |
Optical properties | Biaxial (-) |
Refractive index | nα=1.60 nβ=1.66 nγ=1.67 |
Birefringence | δ = |
Pleochroism | olive green to green-brown |
Fusibility | loses water |
Roscoelite is a green mineral from the mica group that contains vanadium.
The chemical formula is K(V3+, Al, Mg)2AlSi3O10(OH)2.[2] Crystals of roscoelite take on the monoclinic form, and are from the 2/m point group. The appearance is semi transparent to translucent coloured olive brown to green brown. The lustre is pearly. The mineral shows pleochroism with X showing green-brown, and Y and Z axes showing olive-green colour. The mineral was named after Henry Enfield Roscoe who first produced vanadium metal.