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Kulanite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

  
Kulanite is named to honor Mr. Alan Kulan, Ross River, Yukon Territory, Canada, a co-discoverer of the Rapid Creek phosphate occurrences.

Discovered in 1975;   IMA status: Valid (IMA approved 1976)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

Ba(Fe²⁺,Mn,Mg)₂Al₂(PO₄)₃(OH)₃

Barium Iron Manganese Magnesium Aluminum Phosphate Hydroxide

Molecular Weight:

637.65 gm

Composition: 

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Phosphates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

7/B.29-20

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

8.BH.20

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H₂O
H : With medium-sized and large cations, (OH,etc.):RO₄ = 1:1

Related to:

Bjarebyite Group, Kulanite - Penikisite Series.

Synonyms:

IMA1975-012

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Monoclinic - Prismatic

Crystal Habit:

As plates, to 1.5 cm, tabular on {101}, with {101}, {100}, {001}, {011}, {161}, several others; aggregated in rosettes. Commonly in zoned intergrowth with penikisite.

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

{010} Good, {100} Good

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

4.0

Density:

3.91 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

None

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Other:

S

Optical Properties

Color:

Blue, Blue-Green, Green, Black-Green

Transparency:

Transparent to Translucent

Luster:

Adamantine, Vitreous

Refractive Index:

1.703 - 1.723  Biaxial ( + )

Birefringence:

0.020

Dispersion:

Very Stong and asymmetrical; r > v

Pleochroism:

X = brownish green; Y = green; Z = very pale brown.

Occurances

Geological Setting:

A weathering product in fractures in sideritic iron formation (Cross-cut Creek, Canada); as disseminations and veinlets in granite pegmatite (Xiyuantou, China).

Common Associations:

Anatase, Arrojadite, Brazilianite, Fluorapatite, Goyazite, Penikisite, Quartz, Rapidcreekite, Siderite (Cross-cut Creek, Canada); Montebrasite, Palermoite, Triphylite (Palermo #1 mine, New Hampshire, USA)

Type Locality:

Rapid Creek, Dawson Mining District, Yukon Territory, Canada

Year Discovered:

1976; (IMA approved 1976)

View mineral photos:

Kulanite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Kulanite is a very rare barium phosphate mineral that is one of several rare minerals that have recently begun to come out of the Yukon Territory. Crystals are small so gems are usually very small. Although small, gems are very attractive with colors ranging from Blue to Green.

Kulanite comes from Cross-cut Creek, 1.5 km upstream from the confluence with Rapid Creek, Big Fish-Blow River area, Yukon Territory, Canada. In the White Picacho district, Maricopa and Yavapai Counties, Arizona, and at the Palermo #1 mine, North Groton, Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA. From the Xiyuantou pegmatite, Nanping, Fujian Province, China.
 

  
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