THE MINERAL CHURCHITE-(Y)


Churchite-(Y), also known as just churchite and weinschenkite, is a fairly scarce rare earth phosphate. A rare earth mineral is one that contains any of the so called rare earth metals/elements. In this case, it is yttrium and erbium, two industrially valuable metals that are the two rare earth elements in churchite-(Y). The (Y) is for the yttrium which is more significant than the erbium in the chemistry of churchite-(Y). The mineral churchite-(Nd) contains the element Neodymium, another rare earth element.

These are some other rare earth phosphates and their respective chemistries:

In most of Europe the mineral churchite-(Y) is known as weinschenkite and is named for a famous German mineralogist. Specimens of churchite form interesting cotton-white sprays of fine acicular or hair-like clusters. The sprays are unique and unlike other minerals that form acicular crystals. Although quite hard to describe, the clusters simply must be seen in order to appreciate their unusual character.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

 

Google
 

Copyright ©1995-2008 by Amethyst Galleries, Inc.
Site design & programming by galleries.com web services