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Formula: (NaCa2)Mg2(AsO4)3
Anhydrous normal arsenate,
berzeliite group, forms a series with
manganberzeliite
Crystal System: Isometric
Specific gravity: 4.08 to 4.27
Hardness: 4½ to 5
Streak: Nearly white to yellow-orange
Colour: Yellow, Orange, colorless, brownish-orange; colorless to orange in transmitted light
Solubility: Readily soluble in nitric or hydrochloric acid
Environments:
Metamorphic environments
Hydrothermal environments
Berzeliite occurs in metamorphosed iron-manganese orebodies (Webmin) associated with
hausmannite,
rhodonite,
tephroite,
hedyphane, caryinite, manganoan
biotite, långbanite,
braunite, hematite,
dolomite, baryte
and calcite
(HOM).
Localities
At the Montaldo Mine, Borgata Oberti, Montaldo di Mondovì, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy,
piccoliite occurs as small and rare black crystals and aggregates hosted
by a matrix of quartz, associated with
calcite and
berzeliite/manganberzeliite
(MM 87.2.204–217).
At the Arsenatnaya fumarole, Second scoria cone, Northern Breakthrough, Great Fissure eruption, Tolbachik Volcanic
field, Milkovsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia, the alluaudite-group
mineral paraberzeliite was found in the deepest zone of the fumerole,
associated with anhydrite,
diopside, hematite,
svabite, berzeliite,
schäferite,
calciojohillerite,
magnesioferrite, ludwigite,
fluorapatite, powellite,
baryte and
rhabdoborite group
and aphthitalite-group members
(MM 86.1.103–111).
At Örebro, Närke, Sweden, berzeliite occurs in veinlets with
rhodonite,
tephroite,
manganosite,
pyrochroite and
baryte
(Dana).
At the type locality, Långban, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden, berzeliite occurs in metamorphosed
limestone
skarn associated with biotite variety
manganophyllite,
hausmannite
and caryinite (Also at Moss mine, Värmland)
(Mindat, Dana).
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