Kovdorskite
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| Kovdorskite | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | |
| Category | Phosphate minerals |
| Formula | Mg2PO4(OH)·3H2O |
| IMA symbol | Kov[1] |
| Strunz classification | 8.DC.22 |
| Dana classification | 43.05.08.01 |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Crystal class | Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol) |
| Space group | P21/n |
| Unit cell | a = 10.35, b = 12.90 c = 4.73 [Å]; Z = 4 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Translucent white to pale blue to bright pink |
| Crystal habit | Rough prismatic |
| Fracture | Conchoidal to uneven |
| Mohs scale hardness | 4 |
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Specific gravity | 2.28 (measured), 2.30 (calculated) |
| Optical properties | Biaxial (-) |
| Refractive index | nα = 1.527 nβ = 1.542 nγ = 1.549 |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.022 |
| 2V angle | 80°-82° (measured) |
| Dispersion | r > v, very weak |
| References | [2][3][4][5] |
Kovdorskite, Mg2PO4(OH)·3H2O, is a rare, hydrated, magnesium phosphate mineral. It was first described by Kapustin et al.,[6] and is found only in the Kovdor Massif near Kovdor, Kola Peninsula, Russia.[4] It is associated with collinsite, magnesite, dolomite, hydrotalcite, apatite, magnetite, and forsterite.[2]