Mineral description : Turquoise

Turquoise bought in Crete.

Mineral class	Phosphates : ???
Chemical formula	CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8.5H2O
Crystal system	Triclinic
Habitus	Usually massive, as veins, as mammillary masses or as powdery coatings. Rarely as small crystals.
Cleavage	Conchoidal to smooth (massive).
Hardness	5-6
Density	2.6-2.8
Color	Sky blue, blue green to grayish green. Almost opaque.
Streak	White to greenish white.
Luster	Waxy.
Description	Turquoise is a popular gemstone and have been used for jewellery for thousands of years.
Occurance	Turquoise is a secondary phosphate mineral that occurs in veins associated with aluminia rich sedimentary and eruptive rocks. Common in arid areas.
Associates
Notes	Separated from chrysokoll by its higher hardness.
Locations	Only known from one locality in Sweden. Klösan, Örnsköldsvik. Found in 1983 ???

To phosphates index.

Mineral group index.

Main index.

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