THE MINERAL WHITLOCKITE

  • Chemistry: Ca9(Mg, Fe)(PO4)6PO3OH, Calcium Magnesium Iron Phosphate Hydroxide.
  • Class: Phosphates
  • Uses: Only as mineral specimens.
  • Specimens
Whitlockite is a rare phosphate mineral. It was first discovered at the famous phosphate locality - the Palermo Mine, North Groton, Grafton Co., New Hampshire. It can form small, but distinct and well formed crystals.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Color is gray, yellowish, white or colorless.
  • Luster is vitreous.
  • Transparency: specimens are transparent to translucent.
  • Crystal System: is trigonal; 3 m
  • Crystal Habits include rhombohedral and tabular crystals.
  • Cleavage is absent.
  • Fracture is uneven.
  • Hardness is 5.
  • Specific Gravity is approximately 3.1 (average for translucent minerals)
  • Streak is white.
  • Associated Minerals include calcite, montgomeryite, mitridatite, luecophosphite and other phosphate minerals.
  • Notable Occurrences include the type locality of Palermo Mine, North Groton, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, USA as well as Rapid Springs, Yukon, Canada; Spring Creek mine, Flinders Range, Australia and the Tip Top Pegmatite, Custer Co., South Dakota, USA.
  • Best Field Indicators: crystal habit, hardness, color and localities.
WHITLOCKITE specimens:
(hover for more info)
WHITLOCKITE specimen wht-1
$ 225.00
Dims: 1.5x1.5x0.9" (3.9x3.7x2.3 cm)
Wt: 1.0 oz. (27.5g)
Big Fish River, Yukon, Canada
This large thumbnail specimen boasts several sizeable (1cm) whitlockite crystals. They are translucent (transparent in some small areas) due to uncountable internal fractures. The largest crystals also clearly show the flattened tabular rhombohedral habit characteristic of this mineral. These crystals rest upon a base of blue radiating acicular crystals (brown in places) that looks like indicolite, but it does not have a tourmaline hardness. I suspect it is one of the many blue phosphates found in this region, such as gormanite, plancheite, ajoite, or even lazulite. Most of the whitlockite crystals are damaged, although it is minor on the largest ones.
no photo
wht-1 ($225.00)
Big Fish River, Yukon, Canada
WHITLOCKITE specimen wht-2
$ 115.00
Dims: 0.9x0.4x0.7" (2.3x1.0x1.7 cm)
Wt: 0.1 oz. (2.0)
Big Fish River, Yukon, Canada
This thumbnail features a single large well-formed but incomplete (one end is missing) whitlockite crystal. It rests on a crust of a blue-green acicular mineral, which also is visible as a radiating inclusion in the whitlockite. The whitlockite is translucent, yet clear enough to examine the blue-green needles.
no photo
wht-2 ($115.00)
Big Fish River, Yukon, Canada
WHITLOCKITE specimen wht-3
$ 65.00
Dims: 2.6x1.4x0.7" (6.7x3.6x1.7 cm)
Wt: 1.5 oz. (41.5g)
Big Fish River, Yukon, Canada
The translucent white crystals that are scattered over this specimen, as well as numerous smaller transparent blades providing sparkle, are all whitlockite. While small, they are generally in excellent condition. In addition, this specimen is a treasure trove of other (probably rare) minerals. There is a light blue crust, tiny black rossettes whose individual blades are actually transparent green, some parallel sheafs of transparent crystals tipped with black, and a very tiny spray of green acicular crystals, invisible without magnification.
no photo
wht-3 ($ 65.00)
Big Fish River, Yukon, Canada
WHITLOCKITE specimen wht-4
$ 65.00
Dims: 2.5x0.9x0.4" (6.4x2.4x1.1 cm)
Wt: 0.7 oz. (18.7g)
Big Fish River, Yukon, Canada
All of the milky crystals and some of the clear ones on this specimen are whitlockite. They are in fair condition, and most of the larger ones have inclusions consisting of sprays of green acicular crystals. There are also black rosettes whose individual leaves are transparent and green. There also appears to be a single prismatic quartz crystal. These all reside on a crust of a light blue mineral.
no photo
wht-4 ($ 65.00)
Big Fish River, Yukon, Canada
 

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