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Veszelyite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

Chemistry:  (Cu,Zn)₃(PO₄)(OH)₃ · 2H₂O
[Hydrated Copper Zinc Phosphate Hydroxide]

Discovered in 1874;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
Veszelyite is named in honor of A. Veszelyi (1820–1888), Hungarian mining engineer, who discovered the species.

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Phosphates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

7/D.19-30

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

8.DA.30

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
D : Phosphates, etc. with additional anions, with H₂O
A : With small (and occasionally larger) cations

Related to:

Kipushite - Veszelyite Series

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Monoclinic - Prismatic

Crystal Habit:

Prismatic crystals, flattened, elongated, to 5 cm, also typically pseudo-octahedral; may be in granular aggregates.

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

[001] Distinct/Good, [110] Distinct/Good

Fracture:

n/a

Tenacity:

Brittle

Hardness (Mohs):

3.5 - 4.0

Density:

3.40 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

None

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Other:

Soluble in acids.

Optical Properties

Color:

Blue, dark Blue, Greenish Blue, Green

Transparency:

Translucent

Luster:

Vitreous

Refractive Index:

1.618 - 1.695  Biaxial ( + )

Birefringence:

0.0400 - 0.0550

Dispersion:

Weak to Strong; r < v

Pleochroism:

Weak; Z = Blue, X = Greenish blue

Occurances

Geological Setting:

A rare secondary mineral in the oxidized zone of some base-metal mineral deposits.

Common Associations:

Hemimorphite, Iron oxides. Kipushite, Libethenite, Malachite, Pseudomalachite, Pyromorphite, Quartz, Vauquelinite, (Kipushi mine, Congo); Aurichalcite, Brochantite, Hemimorphite, Malachite (Wanlockhead, Scotland).

Type Locality:

Ocna de Fier (Moravita; Moravicza; Moravica; Vaskö; Eisenstein), Banat, Caras-Severin Co., Romania

Year Discovered:

1874

View mineral photos:

Veszelyite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Veszelyite is a very rare and beautiful copper and zinc phosphate mineral. It is an extremely rare gem and gems are very small since crystals are very small, usually less than 10 mm. Mineral specimens are very attractive and very highly sought after by collectors.

There are only a handfull of localities for finding Veszelyite crystals. One of the best known is the Black Pine mine, near Philipsburg, Granite County, Montana, USA.
 

  
Veszelyite gems for sale:

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