Home > Lead Minerals – December 10 > MS1466 Hydroxylhedyphane (IMA2018-052)

Hydroxylhedyphane (IMA2018-052) - Sold


Hydroxylhedyphane is a hydrous calcium lead arsenate, and a member of the apatite supergroup. Hydroxylhedyphane (IMA2018-052) recently received approval from the International Mineralogical Association (Biagioni et al., 2018). At the time of this writing, a full description has not yet appeared in print. While first noted in a chemical study by Dunn et al. (1985), certain structural details necessary for a full species definition remained unresolved. In their nomenclature of the apatite supergroup, Pasero et al. (2010) proposed the name hydroxylhedyphane should structural details become available. Biagioni et al. (2018) found a lowering of rotational symmetry from 6-fold in ideal apatite to 3-fold in hydroxylhedyphane.

Hydroxylhedyphane forms tight parallel aggregates of fibers, much like asbestos, embedded in greasy grey-violet hedyphane. The asbestiform aggregates reach 18 by 5 mm in this example. Rare!