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Formula: Na3Ce(PO4)2
Anhydrous normal phosphate, cerium-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 3.60 to 3.70 measured, 3.63 calculated
Hardness: 4½
Streak: White
Colour: Pale pink, white, pale green, also yellow, grey to black
Solubility: Readily dissolved by cold dilute hydrochloric or sulphuric acid
Weakly RADIOACTIVE
Environments
Plutonic igneous environments
Pegmatites
Localities
At the Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Quebec, Canada,
vitusite-(Ce) occurs in sodalite xenoliths associated with an
intrusive alkalic
gabbro-syenite complex.
Associated minerals include vuonnemite,
sodalite, eudialyte,
steenstrupine-(Ce),
kogarkoite,
sidorenkite and rasvumite
(HOM).
There are two co-type localities, Drill Core 39, Kvanefjeld deposit, Kvanefjeld, Ilímaussaq complex, Kujalleq,
Greenland and the Yubileinaya pegmatite, Karnasurt Mountain, Lovozersky District, Murmansk Oblast, Russia.
In Drill Core 39, Kvanefjeld deposit, Kvanefjeld, Ilímaussaq complex, Kujalleq, Greenland, vitusite-(Ce)
occurs in a melanocratic nepheline syenite, as an
alteration product of steenstrupine-(Ce), associated with
steenstrupine-(Ce), aegirine,
analcime, lovozerite,
sphalerite, villiaumite,
arfvedsonite, albite,
microcline, nepheline and
sodalite
(AM 65.812, HOM).
At the Yubileinaya pegmatite, Karnasurt Mountain, Lovozersky District, Murmansk Oblast, Russia, vitusite-(Ce)
occurs in the natrolite zone of the alkalic
pegmatite, as an alteration product of
steenstrupine-(Ce), and associated with
steenstrupine-(Ce),
belovite-(Ce), neptunite,
leucosphenite and
sazhinite-(Ce)
(AM 65.812, HOM).
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