Formulae:
florencite-(Ce) CeAl3(PO4)2(OH)6
florencite-(La) LaAl3(PO4)2(OH)6
florencite-(Nd) NdAl3(PO4)2(OH)6
Anhydrous phosphate containing hydroxyl, plumbogummite group,
alunite supergroup
Data for florencite-(Ce)
Crystal System: Trigonal
Specific gravity: 3.45 to 3.54
Hardness: 5 to 6
Streak: White
Colour: Pale yellow to butterscotch-yellow, red-orange, pink, pale brown, colourless to grey, colourless to pale yellow in
thin section, may be zoned
Weakly RADIOACTIVE
Environments
Carbonatites
Sedimentary environments
Florencite-(Ce) occurs as a weathering product, typically of apatite, in
highly argillised igneous rocks, bauxite,
saprolite and
carbonatites.
It is authigenic (formed in place) in shale and
sandstone, and it is also formed by the interaction of guano-reacted waters
with gabbroic rock. In sedimentary environments it is associated with
kaolinite, muscovite,
alunite, siderite and
quartz. In carbonatites it
is associated with monazite, bastnäsite,
apatite, ankerite,
strontianite, baryte,
sphalerite and quartz
(HOM).
Localities
At the Mount Lyell Mines, Queenstown district, West Coast municipality, Tasmania, Australia, florencite-(Ce) occurs as
fine-grained aggregates in
pyrite-chalcopyrite-siderite-quartz
ores
(AJM 21.2.4).
The type locality is Mata dos Crioulos, Santo Antônio do Itambé, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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