Laueite - Encyclopedia
Class : Phosphates, arsenates, vanadates
Subclass : Hydrated phosphates
Crystal system : Triclinic
Chemistry : MnFe2(PO4)2(OH)2 8H2O
Rarity : Uncommon
Laueite is a secondary phosphate resulting from the alteration of triphylite in complex granitic pegmatites. It is a polymorph of stewartite and pseudolaueite. It was named in honor of Max Theodor Felix von Laue, a German physicist from the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of Munich. In 1912 he discovered the X-ray diffraction by crystals and received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1914. Laueite forms beveled tabular prismatic crystals of 3 mm maximum, of an amber yellow to reddish orange hue.
Main photo : Laueite from Palermo N°1 Mine, New Hampshire, USA © David L. Busha
Laueite in the World
Twinning
No twins known for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fakes recorded for this mineral species.
Hardness : 3
Density : 2.44 to 2.49
Fracture : Irregular to sub-conchoidal
Streak : White
TP : Translucent to transparent
RI : 1.588 to 1.682
Birefringence : 0.075
Optical character : Biaxial -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : Acids
Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None