THE MINERAL WARDITE

  • Chemistry: NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4-2H2O, Hydrated Sodium Aluminum Phosphate Hydroxide.
  • Class: Phosphates
  • Uses: Only as mineral specimens
  • Specimens
Wardite is a poorly known mineral, but of special interest to minerologists. It is a mineral that belongs to a unique symmetry class. It is one of only a few minerals that is known to belong to the tetragonal trapezohedral class. This class has only a 4 fold rotational axis and two 2 fold rotational axes and nothing else. Crystals of wardite show the lower symmetry by displaying squashed psuedo-octahedrons with striated faces. Another tetragonal mineral that forms similar pseudo-octahedrons is the mineral scheelite. Scheelite is also a low symmetry tetragonal mineral, but belongs to a different symmetry class than wardite. However, scheelite does form similar pseudo-octahedrons, but is fluorescent and generally yellow to orange in color.

Crystals of wardite can make nice specimens with their colorless or light green color and glassy luster. Massive green wardite is associated with variscite nodules in Utah, where it formed from the alteration of the variscite. For those interested in the symmetry of minerals and rare phosphates, wardite is a "must have" in their collections.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Color is green to bluish green or white to colorless.
  • Luster is vitreous.
  • Transparency: Specimens are transparent to translucent.
  • Crystal System: is tetragonal; 4 2 2
  • Crystal Habits include the typical tetragonal dipyramids that has a distorted octahedral look (pseudo-octahedral). Found as linings in variscite nodules. Also granular, massive and fibrous crusts.
  • Cleavage is good in one direction, basal.
  • Fracture is conchoidal.
  • Hardness is 5.
  • Specific Gravity is approximately 2.8 (average for translucent minerals)
  • Streak is white.
  • Other Characteristics: Crystals are striated perpendicular to the four fold axis and is non-fluorescent.
  • Associated Minerals are quartz, feldspars, lazulite, amblygonite, variscite and crandallite.
  • Notable Occurances: include Farifield, Utah; San Diego Co, California; Taquaral, Minas Gerias, Brazil; Alaska, USA and Rapid Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada.
  • Best Field Indicators: color, crystal habits, associations, striations, non-fluorescence and locality.
WARDITE specimens:
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WARDITE specimen war-1
$ 75.00
Dims: 0.7" x 0.6" x 0.3"
Wt: 2.9 g
Rapid Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada
A very intriguing little thumbnail specimen, it consists of a single crystal of Wardite, named after mineralogist Fred Ward. This crystal has a pale green-blue color and a pearly-to-vitreous luster, and is translucent, showing small spots of transparence and many internal fractures. It occurs in a form resembling a warped octahedron. The only "flaws" that can be found concerning its form are some natural clefts in one of its basal edges, and a few tiny bits of broken crystal that protrude from one face. These broken bits seem to represent the only place where the crystal was attached to its place of origin, because the main crystal shows no visible damage. I really like this specimen because of its warped form, and the fact that I like the octahedral shape.
no photo
war-1 ($ 75.00)
Rapid Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada
WARDITE specimen war-2
$ 95.00
Dims: 1.2" x 0.9" x 0.6" (3.0 x 2.3 x 1.5 cm)
Wt: 8.1 g
Rapid Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada
This small thumbnail specimen consists of at least 10 intergrown crystals of Wardite that are attached to a small amount of dark gray host rock. They are generally in excellent condition, showing little human-induced damage, and do not exceed 0.4" (1.0 cm) in any dimension. All have the standard "warped octahedral" form that this tetragonal mineral usually exhibits, and they have well-defined edges and clean faces that show a bright, pearly-to-vitreous luster. Their color is a very pale blue-green and they are translucent but cloudy and heavily internally-fractured.
no photo
war-2 ($ 95.00)
Rapid Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada
WARDITE specimen war-3
$ 25.00
Dims: 0.7" x 0.5" x 0.4" (1.8 x 1.3 x 1.0 cm)
Wt: 1.8 g
Pirienus Mine, Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
This small thumbnail specimen consists of a cluster of heavily intergrown Wardite crystals. These crystals show no damage but are very warped due to intergrowth. They have straight edges and clean faces, but only the smallest crystals look anything like the warped octahedrons that this mineral usually forms. All of the crystals have a pale cream coloration and a luster that is either matte or pearly, varying from face to face. The cluster is dimly translucent at it thickest area, and has no host rock of any sort attached to it.
no photo
war-3 ($ 25.00)
Pirienus Mine, Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
WARDITE specimen war-4
$ 30.00
Dims: 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.3" (1.0 x 1.0 x 0.8 cm)
Wt: 9.6 g w/ specimen box
Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada
This small thumbnail specimen consists of a single tetragonal pseudo-octagaonal Wardite crystal. This crystal is in excellent condition, showing no visible damage, and has excellent form, with well-defined edges and mostly-clean and slightly striated faces that possess a vitreous luster. Half of the crystal, however, is coated with a thin druse of nearly microscopic eosphorite crystals. These crystals do little more than give a brown hue and a lovely sparkle to part of their base. The Wardite crystal has a cream-coloration with a slight hint of gray, and is translucent; it would probably be transparent, but it contains intense internal fracturing. This crystal is partly intergrown with a few other, tiny Wardites, but these are miniscule and show some damage. There is no host rock of any kind present, and the specimen is hot-glued into a small cubic, plastic specimen box.
no photo
war-4 ($ 30.00)
Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada
WARDITE specimen war-5
$ 33.00
Dims: 0.6 x 0.6 x 0.5" (1.5 x 1.5 x 1.3 cm)
Wt: 11.0 g w/ specimen box
Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada
Three intergrown Wardite crystals constitute this small thumbnail specimen. The largest is much larger than its smaller relatives, and makes up the bulk of the specimen's mass and dimensions. There does not appear to be any human-induced damage on the piece, and two of the crystals have excellent tetragonal, pseudo-octagonal form, whereas the third and smallest crystal is rather flattened. All have a pale cream-coloration that is stained a subtle blue color from tiny crystals or bits of crystals of lazulite that has been included in the Wardites. Actually, two of the crystals look as if they had been broken during formation and then healed when lazulite formed inside the resulting crevice and cemented the pieces back together. All have a pearly luster on their striated, flat faces, an
no photo
war-5 ($ 33.00)
Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada
WARDITE specimen war-6
$ 26.00
Dims: 0.4 x .4 x 0.3" (1.0 x 1.0 x 0.8 cm)
Wt: 10.0 g w/ specimen box
Rapid Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada
A single Wardite octahedron comprises this small thumbnail specimen. It is not quite complete, missing one corner, but is otherwise in excellent condition. Its form is very good, with well-defined edges and clean faces that possess a pearly-to-vitreous luster. Its white color is faintly tinged with blue, and there are a few small spots of dark blue color present and visible which are likely due to its former close association with some lazulite. The crystal is translucent, cloudy, and heavily internally fractured. There is no host rock present, and it has been mounted in a plastic specimen box.
no photo
war-6 ($ 26.00)
Rapid Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada
WARDITE specimen war-7
$ 25.00
Dims: 0.6 x 0.5 x 0.4" (1.5 x 1.3 x 1.0 cm) cm)
Wt: 10.5 g w/ box
Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada
A single Wardite crystal comprises this thumbnail specimen. It is not quite complete due to growth irregularities, but is in very good condition and has excellent tetragonal bipyramidal form. Its color is a creamy, off-white with a faint blue tinge and its luster is vitreous and bright. If it were not so intensely internally-fractured, it would be at least partly transparent. It is affixed inside a small plastic specimen box for display and protection.
no photo
war-7 ($ 25.00)
Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada
WARDITE specimen war-8
$ 31.00
Dims: 0.7 x 0.4 x 0.3" (1.8 x 1.0 x 0.8 cm)
Wt: 10.5 g
Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada
This interesting little thumbnail specimen consists of 3 intergrown Wardite crystals. These crystals do not measure more than 0.4" (1.0 cm) along any axis and are in excellent condition, showing no appreciable damage. Their tetragonal, pseudo-octahedral form is very good, though the most intergrown crystal is incomplete and somewhat warped. All are colorless, but their internal fracturing renders them essentially a milky-white, and some of these fractures have a brown discoloration. They have a bright pearly luster, and are translucent. There is no host rock present, and the piece is affixed inside a plastic specimen box.
no photo
war-8 ($ 31.00)
Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada
WARDITE specimen war-9
$ 45.00
Dims: 2.4 x 1.2 x 1.1" (6.2 x 3.0 x 2.8 cm)
Wt: 1.2 oz. (35 g)
Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada
At least 14 small Wardite pseudo-octahedrons rest on the thin, dark base rock of this hand specimen. These crystals are generally in good condition (a few are broken or damaged) and do not exceed 0.3" (8 mm) in diameter. Their tetragonal form is excellent, and all have the standard dull, beige color and pearly luster. Though most are transparent to a degree, their clarity is spoiled by many inclusions and internal fractures. Accompanying the Wardites are socres of lazulite prisms, most of which are broken, and a few dozen tiny quartz crystals. There appears to be a small amount of brown siderite present, too.
no photo
war-9 ($ 45.00)
Rapid Creek, Yukon, Canada
 

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