Fluckite - Encyclopedia
Class : Phosphates, arsenates, vanadates
Subclass : Hydrated arsenates
Crystal system : Triclinic
Chemistry : CaMn(AsO3OH)2 2H2O
Rarity : Very rare
Fluckite is a neoformed arsenate from mining operations. It was discovered in 1971 in the Giftgrube mine in the famous district of Ste-Marie-aux-Mines (France). It was named in honor of the mineralogist Pierre Fluck of the Louis Pasteur University of Strasbourg. It is a mineral which forms small prismatic crystals reaching 1.5 mm, grouped into spherolites up to 5 mm in diameter. It is easily recognized by its pale pink color due to a low cobalt content.
Main photo : Fluckite by Gabe Gottes Mine, Sankt Jakob vein, Neuenberg, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, Haut-Rhin, France © Stephan Wolfsried
Fluckite in the World
Twinning
No twin known for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fakes recorded for this mineral species.
Hardness : 3.5 to 4
Density : -
Fracture : Irregular
Streak : White
TP : Translucent to transparent
RI : 1.618 to 1.642
Birefringence : 0.024
Optical character : Biaxial
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : -
Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None