Mineralpedia Details for Phurcalite
Phurcalite
Named after its composition of phosphorous (ph), uranium (ur), and calcium (cal). Phurcalite is found as “a secondary mineral in cracks and fractures in granite and granite pegmatites.” It occurs in Germany, England, Portugal, France, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United States, Brazil, and Argentina among only a couple others. Phurcalite is highly radioactive and can fluoresce green under short-wave ultraviolet light.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/phurcalite.pdf
- Formula
- Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2·7H2O
- Crystal System
- Orthorhombic
- Cleavage
- Perfect, Perfect, Good
- Luster
- Vitreous - Adamantine
- Color
- yellow
- Streak
- yellow white
- Class
- Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal
- Hardness
- 3
- WebMineral
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- Mindat
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Phurcalite from Posey mine, San Juan Co., Utah, United States
Yellow crystals in radial, acicular sprays to about 0.2mm in diameter with good coverage on Malachite.
Phurcalite from El Azul mine, Los Azules dist., Copiapo, Atacama, Chile
Bright canary yellow acicular crystals to about 0.25mm. Seems to have overgrown perhaps torbernite and individual groups are to 1mm.
Bright yellow sprays to about 0.2mm. Interestingly are yellow tabular cyrstals under the Phurcalite, which are probably replacement of Torbernite or Autunite.
Bright yellow needle or acicular crystals. Excellent rich, but small specimen.
Phurcalite from Merrivale quarry, Dartmoor, Devon, England
Bright yellow, fine acicular crystals on granite matrix. Comes with an old Richard W. Barstow label.
