Whitlockite
Mineral Ca9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH)
About it
Glassy rhombohedrons in granite pegmatites, a classic from the Palermo mine in New Hampshire. It also forms in some bones, teeth, and kidney stones.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Phosphate, whitlockite group
- Formula
- Ca9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH)
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 5
- Specific gravity
- 3.12–3.13
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy), resinous
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Colours
- colourless, white, grey, yellowish, pinkish
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- none; subconchoidal to uneven fracture
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.