Wardite

Wardite from Rapid Creek – Yukon, Canada

General
Category| Phosphate minerals
Formula
(repeating unit)| NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4·2(H2O)
Strunz classification| 8.DL.10
Crystal system| Tetragonal
Crystal class| Trapezohedral (422)
H-M symbol: (4 2 2)
Space group| P41212
Unit cell| a = 7.03(1), c = 19.04(1) Å;
Z = 4
Identification
Color| White, colorless, pale green, blue-green, yellow-green, pale yellow, yellow pink.
Crystal habit| Dipyramidal pseudo-octahedral crystals, striated; radial, fibrous, encrustations
Cleavage| Perfect on {001}
Mohs scale hardness| 5
|re|er}}| Vitreous
Diaphaneity| Transparent to opaque
Specific gravity| 2.81–2.87
Optical properties| Uniaxial (+)
Refractive index| nω = 1.586 – 1.594 nε = 1.595 – 1.604
Birefringence| δ = 0.009
2V angle| 0.0
References| [1][2][3]

Wardite is a hydrous sodium aluminium phosphate hydroxide mineral with formula: NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4·2(H2O). Wardite is of interest for its rare crystallography. It crystallizes in the tetragonal trapezohedral class and is one of only a few minerals in that class. Wardite forms vitreous green to bluish green to white to colorless crystals, masses, and fibrous encrustations. It has a Mohs hardness of 5 and a specific gravity of 2.81–2.87.

## Occurrence

It occurs with variscite in phosphate nodules and occurs uncommonly in pegmatites and phosphate deposits through alteration of amblygonite.

Wardite was named for Henry Augustus Ward (1834–1906) of the University of Rochester in New York. It first described in 1896 for an occurrence in Clay Canyon, Fairfield, Utah County, Utah, US. Though rare it has been reported from many locations worldwide.

## See also

* List of minerals
* List of minerals named after people

## References

1. ↑ Handbook of Mineralogy
2. ↑ Mindat.org
3. ↑ Webmineral data
4. ↑ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine 85 (3): 291–320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. Bibcode: 2021MinM...85..291W.

* Mineral galleries

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