Väyrynenite
Väyrynenite is a very rare collector’s gem rarely seen in the gem market. Väyrynenite is found in facet grade in a couple locations; Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was discovered at Viitaniemi, Erajarvi, Finland, but not gem grade. Very few gems are known to exist and are typically very small and heavily included. Colors are pale pink to rose red. To mineral collectors, Väyrynenite is considered one of the “holy grails” of rare Pakistani and Afghani mineral species. The other is Triplite which comes from the same regions.
Distribution: In the Viitaniemi pegmatite, near Erääjärvi, Finland. From the Norrö pegmatite, on Rånö Island, and from near Kapelludden, Utö Island, Sweden. In the Bendada pegmatite, near Guarda, Portugal. At the Fregeneda pegmatite, Salamanca Province, Spain. From the Kalba Range, eastern Kazakhstan. Large crystals found in Broghul Pass, Chitral Valley, Pakistan.
| Category: | Phosphate mineral |
| Chemical Formula: | Mn2+Be(PO4)(OH) |
| Manganese Beryllium Phosphate Hydroxide | |
| Molecular Weight: | 176.43 gm |
| Composition: | Manganese | 31.14 % | Mn | 40.21 % | MnO |
| Beryllium | 5.11 % | Be | 14.18 % | BeO | |
| Phosphorus | 17.56 % | P | 40.23 % | P2O5 | |
| Hydrogen | 0.43 % | H | 3.83 % | H2O | |
| Oxygen | 43.08 % | O | |||
| Fluorine | 2.79 % | F | 2.69 % | F | |
| – % | F | -1.13 % | -O=F2 | ||
| 100.00 % | 100.00 % | = TOTAL OXIDE |
| Crystallography: | Monoclinic – Prismatic |
| Crystal Habit: | Rare prismatic crystals, elongated and striated, a number of additional modifying forms, to 6 cm; typically in fine-grained aggregates. |
| Twinning: | None |
| Cleavage: | Perfect on {010}, Good on {100}, Fair on {001} |
| Fracture: | Uneven/Irregular |
| Tenacity: | Brittle |
| Moh’s Hardness: | 5.0 |
| Density: | 3.183 – 3.215 (g/cm3) |
| Luminescence: | None |
| Radioactivity: | Not Radioactive |
| Color: | Rose-Red, Salmon-Pink, pale Pink, Brownish Pink, pale Gray |
| Transparency: | Transparent to Translucent |
| Luster: | Vitreous |
| Refractive Index: | 1.638 – 1.667 Biaxial ( – ) |
| Birefringence: | 0.0260 – 0.0270 |
| Dispersion: | Weak to Moderate; r > v |
| Pleochroism: | Visible; X = orangish; Y = red; Z = dark red |
