Home > Type Localities II – November 19 > MS1141 Brazilianite

Brazilianite - Sold


Brazilianite is a sodium aluminum phosphate mineral. Pough & Henderson (1945) named the mineral after the country of Brazil. Later, Hurlbut & Weichel (1946) provided improved X-ray data, and Pecora & Fahey (1949) specified the type locality as the Córrego Frio mine. The mineral was an instant sensation, forming yellow-green gem crystals to 20 cm! Ed Swodoba mined the locality and brought many specimens to the gemstone and mineral collector markets. Fred Pough later remarked how he would like to have had the mineral named in his honor. Much later, Dick Gaines named a fibrous tellurate form Honduras in his honor, much to Fred's dismay. The original brazilianite locality produced these thick crystals with lustrous diamond shaped faces on their ends. This is very distinct from the tabular crystals found since the 1990s. This is a nice specimen, with excellent color and a bit of attached muscovite. Near the termination is a natural contact, likely a point of attachment of a now missing mica crystal. Neverthless, a great display piece form the type locality.