THE MINERAL SCHOLZITE

• Chemistry: CaZn2(PO4)2 - 2H2O , Hydrated Calcium Zinc Phosphate.
• Class: Phosphates
• Uses: Only as mineral specimens.
• Specimens

Scholzite is a rare zinc phosphate mineral and comes from the classic phosphate mineral locality at Hagendorf, Bavaria, Germany. The Hagendorf locality contains a phosphate rich pegmatitic intrusive body that has undergone a certain amount of alteration. Rare minerals such as scholzite are a generous gift from this famous mineral site. Scholzite forms nice bright white tabular crystals and is associated with other rare phosphates. Specimens can be especially nice when combined with other rare minerals.

Scholzite is dimorphous with the mineral parascholzite. A dimorph is a mineral that has the same chemistry but different structures. The even rarer parascholzite is monoclinic while scholzite is orthorhombic in regards to structural symmetry.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• Color is white, colorless, gray or pale yellow.
• Luster is vitreous.
• Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
• Crystal System is orthorhombic.
• Crystal Habits include acicular to more commonly tabular crystals, often radiated.
• Cleavage is indistinct.
• Fracture is conchoidal
• Hardness is 3 - 4
• Specific Gravity is approximately 3.1 (slightly above average for translucent minerals)
• Streak is white.
• Associated Minerals include hopeite, parahopeite, phosphophyllite, tarbuttite, quartz and other pegmatitic minerals.
• Notable Occurrences are limited to Hagendorf, Bavaria, Germany and Reaphook Hill, South Australia.
• Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, associations, lack of distinct cleavage, locality and color.