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Bonacinaite

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Bonacinaite

New Mineral type

Description Tabs

Description
Locality: 
Varenche Mine, Saint-Barthélemy, Nus, Aosta Valley, Italy
Class: 
Crystals on Matrix
Size Range: 
Small miniature (3-4.5 cm)
Size: 
2.2 × 4 × 3.8 cm
Description

Here is a largish matrix specimen of the new mineral Bonacinaite (IMA 2018-056), the first naturally occurring scandium arsenate and an extremely rare phase found at a very interesting abandoned manganese mine in the Italian Alps exploited in the early 1900s.

Like all scandium compunds, ideally pure bonacinaite is colorless but the manganese-rich environment helps finding the minute crystals by giving them a pale (very pale!) lilac hue. The two arrowed areas host rounded globules, up to 0.12 mm across, made of tiny tabular crystals, as well as individual tabular crystals up to 0.06 mm across. A good 50x bino and "warm" light source are recommended to enjoy the specimen. The association includes pale blue thortveitite balls, bronze-colored wallkilldellite micro rosettes and brownish altered arseniopleite, thought to be the main source of arsenic.

The mineral was originaly found back in 2005 but paucity and small crystal size made the characterization process really painstaking. Our personal 2016 find yielded a handful of specimens that helped in the final analytical steps. 

The species is dedicated to Enrico Bonacina, mentor and dean of Italian photograpers of the mineral micro world, turning 90 soon and still very active in sharing pictures and expertise.

 

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Bonacinaite

Formula: 
Sc(AsO4)·2H2O
Crystal System: 
Monoclinic
Type Locality: 
Varenche Mine, Saint Barthelemy, Aosta Valley, Italy

Seller Information

Payment options: offline, paypal_wpp, paypal_wps

Seller's terms and conditions

We offer rare minerals to systematic collectors worldwide, doing our best to ensure accurate identification and provide adequate information and pictures.

Through extensive field search and contacts with trusted sources, we manage to provide the best in newly found species and classic type-locality minerals. Should your item prove to be different we offer an immediate refund of purchase.

Items may be returned within 15 days of receipt, please note that return costs are at customer's expense. We will issue refund as soon as we receive the item in unaltered condition.

Preferred payment is via Paypal, please follow instructions at ceckout and make payment to: [email protected] . If you don't have a Paypal account you can as well pay with your credit card following instructions for non-Paypal users.

Alternatively we accept bank transfer to: Roberto Bracco - bank: Intesa Sanpaolo - via Paleocapa 134/R - 17100 Savona, Italy.

IBAN code: IT79P0306910600100000067863 SWIFT code: BCITITMM

Cash and checks not accepted.

To contact us and ask questions about items on sale, please e-mail to: [email protected]  - phone: +39.3381058295. Returned items should be sent to: Roberto Bracco, piazza Monticello 12/2, 17100 Savona, Italy