THE MINERAL ANNABERGITE
- Chemistry: Ni3(AsO4)2-8(H2O) , Hydrated Nickel Arsenate
- Class: Phosphates
- Group: Vivianite
- Uses: A very minor ore of nickel and mineral specimens
- Specimens
Annabergite has a wonderful, bright green color. This characteristic color is easily noticeable and was used to spot veins of nickel-bearing ore. Annabergite, or "Nickel Bloom" as it is called by miners, is a weathering product of nickel-containing minerals such as
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is bright apple green to pale green or gray in massive and thin crust forms.
- Luster is vitreous to adamantine to dull in massive or powdered forms.
- Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
- Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m
- Crystal Habits include flattened striated blades or radiating accicular crystals, but large crystals are extremely rare. More commonly as crusts or powdery masses.
- Cleavage is perfect in one direction.
- Fracture is flaky.
- Hardness is 1.5 - 2.5
- Specific Gravity is approximately 3.0 - 3.1 (average for translucent minerals)
- Streak is pale green or gray, in gray specimens.
- Associated Minerals are
niccolite , skutterudite, gersdorffite and erythrite. - Other Characteristics: Thin flakes are flexible.
- Notable Occurrences include Cobalt, Ontario; Lavrion, Greece; Humboldt, Nevada, USA; Sierra Cabrera, Spain and Germany.
- Best Field Indicators are color, softness, associations, and flexible crystals.
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