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Formula: Na3Ca2[(V4+V5+9)O28].24H2O
Hydrated vanadate
Crystal system: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 2.350 calculated for the empirical formula, 2.343 calculated for the ideal formula
Hardness: 2
Streak: Light bluish green
Colour: Bluish green
Luminescence: Does not fluoresce under short wave or long wave UV
Environments
Sedimentary environments
Hydrothermal environments
Nashite is a relatively new mineral, approved in 2012 but to date (October 2025) reported only from the
type localities.
Localities
There are two co-type localities, the Saint Jude Mine, Slick Rock Mining District, Colorado, USA, and the Little Eva
Mine, Yellow Cat Mesa, Thompsons Mining District, Grand County, Utah, USA.
At the Saint Jude Mine, Slick Rock Mining District, Colorado, USA, nashite occurs in a similar assemblage to
that at the Little Eva mine, see below.
In the Little Eva mine, Yellow Cat Mesa, Thompsons Mining District, Grand County, Utah, USA, nashite crystals
were found growing as blades on a
corvusite-montroseite -
bearing sandstone block, intimately associated with
calciodelrioite, calcite,
gypsum, huemulite,
pascoite, rossite and
sherwoodite. Other minerals found nearby include
andersonite, ansermetite,
cobaltomenite,
dickthomssenite,
ferroselite, lasalite,
martyite, melanovanadite,
natrozippeite,
schrockingerite,
native selenium, tyuyamunite
and uraninite.
Nashite from the Little Eva Mine -
Image.
At both type localities nashite is rare. It forms from the oxidation of
montroseite-corvusite
assemblages in a moist environment. Mining operations have exposed unoxidised and oxidised phases; in addition to
nashite, other mixed-valence V4+/V5+ vanadium
minerals such as sherwoodite and
melanovanadite are found in the association, which suggests that
local oxidising conditions can be controlled by the presence of organic matter and phases such as
pyrite. Under ambient temperatures and generally oxidising
near-surface environments, water reacts with pyrite in the deposit to form
aqueous solutions with relatively low pH (high acidity), forming various
secondary vanadate
phases.
Crystals of nashite are equant to tabular and commonly occur in stacked parallel intergrowths. Individual
crystals are up to 0.3 mm in maximum dimension. Nashite is transparent and bluish-green, with a light
bluish green streak. and a subadamantine lustre.
(CM 51.1.27-38).
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