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Formula: CuFe3+2(PO4)2(OH)2
Phosphate, lazulite group
Crystal system: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 3.79 calculated for the theoretical formula
Hardness: 3½
Streak: Pale green
Colour: Dark green to greenish black
Luminescence: Not fluorescent under UV
Common impurities: Al,As
Environments
Pegmatites
Hydrothermal environments
Hentschelite is a rare secondary mineral in some
oxidised copper deposits.
Localities
At El Criollo Mine, Cerro Blanco pegmatite district, Tanti, San Roque District, Punilla Department, Córdoba Province,
Argentina, hentschelite is associated with phosphosiderite,
lipscombite and
metatorbernite
(HOM).
At the Spring Creek Mine, Wilmington, District Council of Mount Remarkable, South Australia, hentschelite is
associated with cuprite, copper,
malachite and baryte
(HOM).
Hentschelite from the Spring Creek Mine -
Image
At the type locality, Point 20.0, Katzenstein, Raidelbach, Lautertal, Bergstraße, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany,
the silicified baryte vein contains occasional small stringers of
galena, chalcopyrite and minor
tetrahedrite in cryptocrystalline
quartz. Under weathering conditions, these
primary ore minerals have been partially oxidised, leading to
a rich assemblage of secondary minerals, predominantly
phosphates, arsenates and
vanadates, occurring as disseminations and as drusy crusts.
At Katzenstein a block of rock was found containing clusters of hentschelite crystals, together with
mimetite, beudantite,
goethite and quartz.
Most crystals of hentschelite from Reichenbach occur as characteristically twinned specimens up to 0.4 mm
across
(AM 72.404-408).
At the Phoenix United Mine, Minions, Linkinhorne, Cornwall, England, UK, hentschelite is associated with
rockbridgeite,
chalcosiderite, goethite
and cuprite
(HOM).
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