Svabite

Discovered in 1891; IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

Ca₅(AsO₄)₃(F,OH)

Calcium Arsenate Fluoride Hydroxide

Molecular Weight:

636.15 gm

Composition:

Calcium

31.50 %

Ca

44.08 %

CaO

Arsenic

35.33 %

As

54.20 %

As₂O₅

Oxygen

30.18 %

O

Fluorine

2.99 %

F

2.99 %

F

—

 —  %

F

-O=F₂

100.00 %

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Phosphates; Subclass: Arsenates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

7/B.39-60

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

8.BN.05

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H₂O
N : With only large cations, (OH, etc.):RO₄ = 0.33:1

Related to:

Apatite Supergroup. Apatite Group. Svabite Group (Dana). Fluorapatite-Svabite Series. Also forms a series toward Hedyphane and Mimetite with an increase of Pb and Cl. The arsenate analogue of Fluorapatite. Isostructural with Johnbaumite.

Members of Group (Strunz):

Apatite Group: Alforsite, Bellite, Carbonate-rich Fluorapatite, Chlorapatite, Fluorapatite, Hydroxylapatite, Hydroxylapatite-M, Hydroxylpyromorphite, Johnbaumite, Johnbaumite-M, Manganapatite, Mimetite, Mimetite-2M, Miyahisaite, Mn-bearing Fluorapatite, Oxypyromorphite, Pieczkaite, Pyromorphite, Stronadelphite, Svabite, Turneaureite, Unnamed (F-analogue of Pyromorphite), Unnamed (OH-analogue of Mimetite), Vanadinite 

Members of Group (Dana):

Svabite Group (Dana): Fermorite , Johnbaumite, Svabite, Turneaureite

Varieties:

None

Synonyms:

None

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Hexagonal - Dipyramidal

Crystal Habit:

As stout prismatic hexagonal crystals, typically modified by several bipyramids, to 5 mm; also massive. 

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

Indistinct on {1010}

Fracture:

Irregular/uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

4.0 - 5.0 

Density:

3.50 - 3.80 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

Fluoresces reddish orange under LW UV and yellow under SW UV. Also cathodoluminescent.

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Other:

Soluble in dilute acids.

Health Warning:

CAUTION: Contains Arsenic, a poisonous element - always wash hands after handling. Avoid inhaling dust when handling or breaking. Never lick or ingest.

Optical Properties

Color:

Colorless, yellowish white, gray, grayish green; colorless to pale lilac in transmitted light

Transparency:

Transparent to translucent

Luster:

Vitreous to sub-resinous

Refractive Index:

1.698 - 1.706  Uniaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.008

Dispersion:

n/a

Pleochroism:

n/a

Occurances

Geological Setting:

A rare accessory mineral in calcsilicate skarns.

Common Associations:

Manganoan Diopside, Brandtite, Sarkinite, Garnet (Harstigen mine, Sweden); Hausmannite (Jakobsberg, Sweden); Manganoan Diopside, Tilasite, Manganberzeliite, Bergslagite, Hematite, Calcite, Barite (Långban, Sweden).

Common Impurities:

O, H, OH, Cl

Type Locality:

Jakobsberg Mine, Jakobsberg ore field, Nordmark district, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden

Year Discovered:

1891

View mineral photos:

Svabite mineral photos and locations

Unusual Gem Categories

Fluorescent Gems

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Svabite is a rare calcium arsenate fluoride mineral that belongs to the Apatite Group of minerals that includes Apatite, Mimetite, Pyromorphite, Svabite and Vanadinite. Svabite is at least partially isomorphous with Apatite and Mimetite. Isomorphous means that two (or more) minerals share the same crystal structure but have different chemistries. Svabite is also the arsenate analogue of Fluorapatite. When the mineral Fluorapatite occurs near arsenic-bearing ores, some of the phosphate ions are often replaced by arsenate ions. When the percentage of arsenate ions exceeds that of the phosphate ions the mineral becomes Svabite. Svabite fluoresces reddish orange under LW UV and yellow under SW UV light. If you place your cursor over the picture above you will see the reddish orange fluorescence of Svabite under longwave UV light. Svabite specimens found at Långban, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden may be associated with another fluorescent arsenate mineral, Tilasite.

Svabite was named in 1891 by Swedish geologist and mineralogist Sten Anders Hjalmar Sjögren (1856-1922) in honor of Anton von Swab (Svab) (1703-1768), Swedish chemist, mineralogist, and mining official at Bergmästaregatan in Skåne and Kronoberg. Swab made important discoveries in the fields fo chemistry and mineralogy. He refined zinc from calamine and later from blende. Together with Axel Cronstedt, Swab developed a commercial process for refining zinc and thus greatly aided the manufacture of brass in Sweden. Swab also discovered the first natural occurrence of native antimony in 1783 from a sample collected from the Sala Silver Mine in the Bergslagen mining district of Sala, Västmanland, Sweden.

Svabite distribution: in Sweden, found in the Harstigen mine, near Persberg, at Jakobsberg, and at Långban, Värmland; from Kesebol, Dalsland; in the Ultevis district, Jokkmokk, Swedish Lappland. In the Clara Mine, near Oberwolfach, Black Forest, Germany.

Svabite gems for sale:

We have not photographed our Svabite gems yet. Please check back soon.