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Collinsite & Quercyite

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NST610021

Collinsite & Quercyite

Type Locality

Description Tabs

Description
Locality: 
Francois Lake, Omenica, British Columbia, Canada
Class: 
Crystal Group/Cluster
Size Range: 
Miniature (4.5-7 cm)
Size: 
4.6 × 4.5 × 2.8 cm
Description

Classic Francois Lake collinsite specimen. The dark brown, banded material is the carbonate-rich hydroxylapatite (=quercyite) while the crystallized collinsite here is in light brown, fibrous aggregates. Collinsite is found in (carbonate-hydroxylapatite) nodules.

The deposit is said to be formed by metamorphism of "guano". Botryoidal phosphates and asphaltum occur in a small irregular vein that is 10 centimetres to 30 centimetres wide and outcrops at intervals over a length of about 30 metres. The vein occurs in a Tertiary amygdaloidal and vesicular andesitic flow that overlies sandstone and shale. Although described as a vein, it has been noted that the occurrence appears to be a layer between two lava flows. The asphaltum has been classified as asphaltic pyrobitumen while the phosphates have been identified as collinsite and quercyite.

Rare material from the type locality.

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Collinsite

Formula: 
Ca2(Mg,Fe2+)(PO4)2·2H2O
Strunz: 
8.CG.05
Hardness: 
3.0 - 3.5
Type Locality: 
Francois Lake phosphate occurrence, Francois Lake, Omenica Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada