Turquoise Mineral Data

Turquoise Mineral Data +

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General Turquoise Information

Chemical Formula:

CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 813.44 gm

Aluminum 19.90 % Al 37.60 % Al₂O₃

Copper 7.81 % Cu 9.78 % CuO

Phosphorus 15.23 % P 34.90 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 1.98 % H 17.72 % H₂O

Oxygen 55.07 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

CuAl₆(PO₄)₄(OH)₈·4(H₂O)

Environment:

Secondary mineral found in copper deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) Prehistoric

Locality:

Nishapur Deposit, Iran Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after Turkey (from where it was brought to Europe).

Synonym:

Callaite

ICSD 21062

PDF 6-214

Turquoise Image

Images:

Turquoise

Comments: Blue, triclinic crystals (rare) of turquoise on matrix.
Location: Lynch Station, Campbell County, Virginia, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Turquoise Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.7517:1:0.7718

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.48, b = 9.95, c = 7.68, Z = 1; alpha = 111.65°, beta = 115.383°, gamma = 69.433° V = 449.39 Den(Calc)= 3.01

Crystal System:

Triclinic - PinacoidalH-M Symbol ( 1) Space Group: P1

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.68(1), 2.91(0.8), 6.17(0.7),

Crystal Structure:

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Cid-Dresdner H , Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie , 121 (1965) p.87-113, Determination and refinement of the crystal structure of turquois, CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8*4H2O, Locality: Virginia, USA

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Turquoise
[1]

Physical Properties of Turquoise

Cleavage:

[001] Perfect, [010] Good

Color:

Blue, Blue green, Green, Green gray, Light blue.

Density:

2.6 - 2.8, Average = 2.7

Diaphaniety:

Subtranslucent to opaque

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Habit:

Concretionary - Rounded massive fine-grained materials.

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

5-6 - Between Apatite and Orthoclase

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Waxy

Streak:

pale bluish white

Optical Properties of Turquoise

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.059 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.05 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2076,KPDmeas= 0.2315,KC= 0.2186

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=1.61, b=1.615, g=1.65, bire=0.0400, 2V(Calc)=44, 2V(Meas)=40. Dispersion relatively strong.

Calculated Properties of Turquoise

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.01 gm/cc
note: r_Turquoise=3.01 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00026
Boson Index = 0.99974

Photoelectric:

PE_Turquoise= 4.64 barns/electron
U=PE_Turquoise x r_electron= 13.99 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Turquoise is Not Radioactive

Turquoise Classification

Dana Class:

42.9.3.1 (42)Hydrated Phosphates, etc., Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(42.9)where (A)3 (XO4)2 Zq · x(H2O)

(42.9.3)Dana Group

42.9.3.1 Turquoise CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4(H2O) P1 1

42.9.3.2 Coeruleolactite (Ca,Cu)Al6(PO4)4(OH)8·4-5(H2O) P1 1

42.9.3.3 Faustite (Zn,Cu)Al6(PO4)4(OH)8·4(H2O) P1 1

42.9.3.4 Chalcosiderite CuFe6(PO4)4(OH)8·4(H2O) P1 1

42.9.3.5 Aheylite (Fe,Zn)Al6(PO4)4(OH)8·4(H2O) P1 1

42.9.3.6 Planerite Al6(PO4)2(PO3OH)2(OH)8·4(H2O) P1 1

Strunz Class:

VII/D.15-40 VII - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates

VII/D - Water-bearing phosphates with unfamiliar anions, cations of medium size: Cu, Zn, Mn, Al, Fe

VII/D.15 - Turquoise group

VII/D.15-10 Planerite Al6(PO4)2(PO3OH)2(OH)8·4(H2O) P1 1

VII/D.15-20 Coeruleolactite (Ca,Cu)Al6(PO4)4(OH)8·4-5(H2O) P1 1

VII/D.15-30 Aheylite (Fe,Zn)Al6(PO4)4(OH)8·4(H2O) P1 1

VII/D.15-40 Turquoise CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4(H2O) P1 1

VII/D.15-50 Faustite (Zn,Cu)Al6(PO4)4(OH)8·4(H2O) P1 1

VII/D.15-60 Chalcosiderite CuFe6(PO4)4(OH)8·4(H2O) P1 1

Other Turquoise Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

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Turquoise

CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4(H2O)
Dana No: 42.9.3.1 Strunz No: VII/D.15-40
Locality:

Notes: