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Alarsite

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Alarsite
Alarsite crystals found at Tolbachik
General
CategoryMineral
IMA symbolArs[1]
Crystal systemtrigonal
Crystal classaluminium arsenate
Space groupP3121 (no. 152) or P3221 (no. 154)
Identification
Colourcolorless with pale yellow tints
Mohs scale hardness5-5.5
Lustervitreous luster
Specific gravity3.32.
Refractive indexnω = 1.596 and nε = 1.608.

Alarsite (AlAsO4) is an aluminium arsenate mineral with its name derived from its composition: aluminium and arsenate.[2] It occurs as brittle subhedral grains which exhibit trigonal symmetry. It has a Mohs hardness of 5-5.5 and a specific gravity of 3.32. It is semitransparent, colorless with pale yellow tints and shows a vitreous luster. It is optically uniaxial (+) with refractive indices of nω = 1.596 and nε = 1.608.

It was reported from fumaroles in the Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Far Eastern Region, Russia.[3][4] It occurs in association with fedotovite, klyuchevskite, lammerite, nabokoite, atlasovite, langbeinite, hematite and tenorite.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ a b Handbook of Mineralogy
  3. ^ Fact sheet from Mindat.org
  4. ^ Fact sheet from Webmineral.com