Childrenite
Childrenite forms a show with Eosphorite, Childrenite staying at the Fe end of the show and Eosphorite staying at the end that is mn. Both are real gems that are uncommon although Childrenite is much rarer than Eosphorite. Childrenite is found as brown, yellowish brown and golden crystals being yellowish. Facetable crystals from Minas Gerais, Brazil are usually brown. Crystals from other places such as Cornwall, England; Greifenstein, Germany and Custer, South Dakota, USA are not graded that is a facet.
| Category: | Phosphate minerals |
| Chemical Formula: | Fe2+Al(PO4)(OH)2 • H2O |
| Hydrated Iron Aluminum Phosphate Hydroxide | |
| Molecular Weight: | 229.83 gm |
| Composition: | Aluminum | 11.74 % | Al | 22.18 % | Al2O3 |
| Iron | 24.30 % | Fe | 31.26 % | FeO | |
| Phosphorus | 13.48 % | P | 30.88 % | P2O5 | |
| Hydrogen | 1.75 % | H | 15.68 % | H2O | |
| Oxygen | 48.73 % | O | |||
| 100.00 % | 100.00 % | = TOTAL OXIDE |
| Crystallography: | Orthorhombic – Pyramidal |
| Crystal Habit: | As equant to pyramidal crystals, may be short prismatic along {001}, thick tabular on {010}, or platy on {100}, commonly doubly terminated, to 2 cm; in radiating groups and fibrous crusts; massive. |
| Twinning: | May show twinning on {100} and {001}, observed optically, to give pseudo-orthorhombic symmetry; may be due to oxidation. |
| Cleavage: | Imperfect, Poor on {100} |
| Fracture: | Conchoidal to Uneven |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Moh’s Hardness: | 4.5 – 5.0 |
| Density: | 3.18 – 3.25 (g/cm3) |
| Luminescence: | None |
| Radioactivity: | Not Radioactive |
| Color: | White, Yellowish brown, Brownish black |
| Transparency: | Transparent to Translucent |
| Luster: | Vitreous to Resinous |
| Refractive Index: | 1.649 – 1.691 Biaxial ( – ) |
| Birefringence: | 0.0270 – 0.0420 |
| Dispersion: | Strong; r > v |
| Pleochroism: | X = yellow; Y = pink; Z = pale pink to colorless. |
