Images
Formula: SmAl3(PO4)2(OH)6
Anhydrous phosphate, plumbogummite group,
alunite supergroup,
samarium-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Trigonal
Specific gravity: 3.70 measured, 3.743 calculated
Hardness: 5½ to 6
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless, pale pink to pale yellow in aggregates.
Luminescence: The cathodoluminescence spectrum of florencite-(Sm) shows two sharp lines at 592 nm (green,
Sm3+) and 558 nm (yellow, Nd3+)
(AM 97.1528-1529).
Environments
Florencite-(Sm) was approved in 2009 but to date (February 2025) has been reported only from the type
locality.
Localities
At the type locality, the Svodovyi area, Grubependity Lake, Maldynyrd range, Kozhim River Basin, Komi Republic,
Russia, florencite-(Sm) was found in quartz veins up to 3 m thick
situated in quartz
conglomerate near its contacts with
aluminium-enriched
metasomatites. The veins consist of the aggregate of gigantic
anhedral milky or smoky quartz crystals with blue asbestos-like
dravite near the selvages. The intergrowths of pink partly euhedral or
anhedral florencite-(Ce) crystals up to 3 cm with
xenotime-(Y) were found in the central part of the veins.
Florencite-(Sm) forms multiple zones 0.01 to 0.1 mm thick within rhombohedral crystals of
florencite-(Ce). The total thickness of closely located series of
samarium-enriched zones is 1 to 3 mm. Florencite-(Sm) is transparent,
colourless to pale-pink or pale-yellow, vitreous to greasy with a white streak
(AM 97.1528-1529).
Florencite-(Sm) from the Svodovyi area -
Image
Back to Minerals