Warwickite
Warwickite is an iron magnesium titanium borate mineral with formula: (MgFe)3Ti(O, BO3)2 or Mg(Ti,Fe3+, Al)(BO3)O. It occurs as brown to black prismatic orthorhombic crystals which are vitreous and transparent. It has a Mohs hardness of 3 to 4 and a specific gravity of 3.36.[2][3]
| Warwickite | |
|---|---|
 Warwickite sample | |
| General | |
| Category | Borate mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | (Mg,Fe2+)3Ti[O|BO3]2 |
| Strunz classification | 6.AB.20 |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
| Crystal class | Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
| Space group | Pnam |
| Identification | |
| Color | dark brown, grey to black¨ |
| Cleavage | perfect on {100} |
| Fracture | irregular/uneven |
| Mohs scale hardness | 3-4 |
| Luster | sub-Vitreous, pearly, sub-metallic, dull |
| Streak | bluish black |
| Specific gravity | 3.34 - 3.36 |
| References | [1] |
Occurrence
It occurs metasomatized limestone skarns and in lamproite and carbonatite veinlets. It was first described in 1838 near Warwick, Orange County, New York. It has also been reported from Bancroft, Ontario; in Murcia Province, Spain; in Siberia and near Pyongyang, North Korea.[4]
References
- Mineralienatlas
- http://webmineral.com/data/Warwickite.shtml Webmineral
- http://www.mindat.org/min-4245.html Mindat
- http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/warwickite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy
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