General Information:
Chemical Formula:
(Ca,Mn++,Fe++)Fe+++3(AsO4)(PO4)3(PO3OH)
Empirical Formula:
Ca0.6Mn2+0.3Fe2+0.1Fe3+3(AsO4)(PO4)3(PO3)(OH)
Environment:
Secondary phosphate mineral.
Locality:
White Elephant mine, Pringle, Custer County, South Dakota, USA.
Name Origin:
Named for Kurt Walenta (1927-), mineralogist, University of Stuttgart, Germany, who has studied many phosphate minerals.
Physical Properties:
Cleavage:
[010] Perfect
Color:
greenish yellow, yellow green, or bright yellow.
Density:
2.72
Diaphaniety:
Translucent
Habits:
Rosette - Bundled tabular aggregates resembling rose flower petals., ,
Hardness:
3 - Calcite
Luminescence:
Non-fluorescent.
Luster:
Vitreous (Glassy)
Streak:
yellow
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