PICROPHARMACOLITE



Picropharmacolite, a calcium magnesium arsenate hydrate mineral, was described from Sterling Hill by Dunn (1979c). It occurs as a post-mining mineral on the walls of shafts over 30 years old and has been found at a number of places in the mine. It is white and occurs as 1 cm fan-like arrays of silky acicular crystals on calcite. It was verified using X-ray methods and microprobe analysis. Picropharmacolite fluoresces with a moderate to weak white color in shortwave and longwave ultraviolet. It is best verified using X-ray methods. It has not been reported from Franklin. (Dunn, 1995)

 Location Found: Ogdensburg
     
 
 Year Discovered: 1819
     
 Formula: Ca4Mg(AsO4)2(HAsO4)2 · 11H2O
 Essential Elements: Arsenic, Calcium, Hydrogen, Magnesium, Oxygen
 All Elements in Formula: Arsenic, Calcium, Hydrogen, Magnesium, Oxygen
     
 IMA Status: Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
     
Fluorescent Mineral Properties
 Shortwave UV light: White
 Mid wave UV light: White
 Longwave UV light: White
 Additional Information: Phosphoresces white
     
 To find out more about this mineral at minDat's website, follow this link   Picropharmacolite

     
 References:
Dunn, Pete J. (1995). Franklin and Sterling Hill New Jersey: the world's most magnificent mineral deposits. Franklin, NJ.: The Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society. p.677
The Picking Table References
 PT Issue and PageDescription / Comment
View IssueV. 58, No. 1 - Spring 2017, pg. 15Fluorescent Minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill, N.J., Part 2, Richard C. Bostwick - Picropharmacolite
View IssueV. 33, No. 2 - Fall 1992, pg. 11The Check List of Franklin-Sterling Hill Fluorescent Minerals - Picropharmacolite (Fluorescent Info)
View IssueV. 20, No. 2 - September 1979, pg. 7Contributions to the Mineralogy of Franklin and Sterling Hill New Jersey, Picropharmacolite (small article)
     
Images
     
Picropharmacolite crystals, Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensburg, NJ
Picropharmacolite crystals (white) from the Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensburg, NJ. Field of view 5 mm. From the collection of, and photo by DW.






All content including, but not limited to, mineral images, maps, graphics, and text on the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society, Inc. (FOMS) website is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons License