Mineralpedia Details for Becquerelite
Becquerelite
Named after Antoine Henri Becquerel, the French physicist who discovered radioactivity in 1896. Becquerelite is a rare mineral that occurs as a weathering product of uraninite in oxidized uranium deposits and can also be found, albeit rarely, in pegmatites. Localities include in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Austria, England, France, the United States, Canada, and Australia, among a few others. Becquerelite is highly radioactive.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/becquerelite.pdf
- Formula
- Ca(UO2)6O4(OH)6ยท8H2O
- Crystal System
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal Habit
- Crystalline - Fine
- Cleavage
- Perfect, Perfect, None
- Luster
- Resinous
- Color
- brownish yellow, golden yellow, orange, lemon
- Streak
- yellow
- Class
- Orthorhombic - Pyramidal
- Hardness
- 2.5
- WebMineral
- View Becquerelite
- Mindat
- View Becquerelite
Becquerelite from Mechelgrün, Plauen, Vogtland, Saxony, Germany
Beautiful spray of glassy yellow, bladed Becquerelite crystals to 0.75mm occurring with Uranophane.
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Becquerelite from Shinkolobwe, Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo
Excellent striated prismatic crystals of Becquerelite to 5mm.
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