TURQUOISE

Le Mazet vein, Échassières, Ébreuil, Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O

Crystal System: triclinic
Colour: bright blue, sky-blue, pale green, blue-green, turquoise-blue, apple-green, green-gray
Habitus: usually as fine granular to cryptocrystalline nodules or crusts. Also as veinlets or massive aggregates
Lustre: sub-vitreous, resinous, waxy, dull, earthy
Hardness: 5 - 6
Fracture:  conchoidal to smooth
Cleavage: perfect on {001}, good on {010}
Density: 2.91 g/cm3
Origin and geological occurrence: it is a common mineral of potassic alteration zone of porphyry-copper deposits. It could be found in arid climate as alteration mineral of aluminous sedimentary rocks enriched of apatite and chalcopyrite.

www.mindat.org
Smorf link


Samples:

8.4 R20 TURCHESE

8.4 Turquoise
Light blue cryptocrystalline nodules

#phosphates vanadates