Anapaite - Encyclopedia
Class : Phosphates, arsenates, molybdates
Subclass : Hydrated phosphates
Crystal System : Triclinic
Chemistry : Ca2Fe(PO4)2 4H2O
Rarity : Very rare
Anapaite is a very rare iron and calcium phosphate encountered in the alteration of primary phosphates in different contexts (oolitic iron ore, pegmatites, etc...) as well as in clayey or bituminous sediments. Its name comes from its locality of discovery : the limonite mines of Zheleznyi Rog, near Anapa (Russia). It forms small tabular crystals no larger than 1 cm frequently united in rosettes, subparallel crystal encrustations and fibrous nodules, green to pale green in color. It is a sought-after mineral for collectors.
© Lopatkin Ole
© Stephan Wolfsrie
© Elmar Lackner
© Gianfranco Ciccolin
Anapaite in the World
Main photo : Anapaite from Kerch, Crimea, Ukraine - © Uwe Kolitsc
Twinning
No twin report for this mineral species. On the other hand, anapaite crystals can line the inside of fossil bivalves on the Kerch deposit (see photos).
Fakes and treatments
Hardness : 3,5
Density : 2.81
Fracture : Irregular
Trace : White
TP : Translucent to transparent
RI : 1.602 to 1.649
Birefringence : 0.037
Optical character : Biaxial +
Pleochroism : Not visible
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : Hydrochloric or nitric acid
Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None