FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[g1powermac]

Hi All,

I like to collect phenacite and have recently stumbled upon one claimed by the seller to be a rare gray/blue sample from Mozambique. I so far haven't been able to find much reference to that locality producing phenacites. Do you think this sample is actually phenacite and/or from Mozambique?

Thanks.

[lluis]

Hi,

None from Moçambique....
https://www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=3188

With best wishes

Lluís

[James]

How about:

https://www.mindat.org/loc-21089.html

James

[Matt_Zukowski]

In the midat page for Muiâne pegmatite, it states that a bunch of species at this locality were identified from fluid inclusions. It may be that there are no "macro" specimens of phenakite from this locality. One would have to go to the Thomas and Davidson (2010) article to find out.

[lluis]

Dear James, Matt

If found in fluid inclusions, then, very small ones.
On the other side, consulting the cousin page of Mineralien Atlas, well, not mentioned...

That for Alto Ligonha Pegmatites
https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/Mosambik/Zambezia%2C%20Provinz/Alto%20Ligonha%20Pegmatite

That for all occurrences in world
https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/MineralDataShow?mineralid=3025&sections=12
(links normalized by FMF)

Sure an error in any of the two pages. I am more inclined to believe that error is in Mindat...

With best wishes

Lluís

[g1powermac]

Thanks everyone for the information. I've done some more research and I think these crystals are not phenacite. I've never seen gray/blue color pieces nor samples from that locality. But, blue herderite does seem to fit. If I had access to them, I'd test the hardness.