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Formula: Mg3(PO4)2
Anhydrous phosphate, paramorph of
chopinite
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 2.74 measured, 2.76 calculated
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless, white, pale yellow to amber yellow
Solubility:Virtually insoluble in water, attacked slowly by dilute nitric acid (AM 46.1513)
Environments
Farringtonite is a rare component in pallasite meteorites,
rimming and cementing olivine nodules. Associated minerals include
olivine, stanfieldite,
troilite, schreibersite and
kamacite
(HOM). Farringtonite hydrates in the atmosphere and disintegrates to a powder
(Mindat).
Localities
The type locality is the Springwater meteorite, Springwater, Saskatchewan, Canada. This is a stony-iron
pallasite, found in 1931 as three large masses. Other fragments
have been found as recently as 2009. Thirty percent of the
meteorite is the iron-rich metallic phases
kamacite and taenite, with the rest mostly
made up of olivine. There are minor amounts of other minerals, including
farringtonite, troilite,
stanfieldite and schreibersite
(Wiki, Mindat).
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