Paravauxite is a rare mineral that was named in 1922. Its name is a portmanteau word made by blending the Greek word for near (παρα, meaning para) and

vauxite Vauxite is a phosphate mineral with the chemical formula Fe2+ Al2( P O4)2(O H)2·6(H2O). It belongs to the laueite – paravauxite group, paravauxite subgroup,American Mineralogist (1968) 53:1025 although Mindat puts it as a member of the van ...

due to the chemical relationship to vauxite. It was approved by the IMA, and was first described in 1959. It is now grandfathered, meaning it is probably to remain a species.

Properties

It is a member of the laueite supergroup, and the laueite group within said supergroup. It is metavauxite's triclinic dimorph. It can form in complex granitic pegmatites, and in hydrothermal tin veins. It forms thick tabular crystals on , and short prismatic ones on 01 but numerous forms might be exhibited. Forms aggregates that are subparallel to radial. The mineral is colorless in transmitted light. It mainly consists of oxygen (60.26%), but contains phosphorus (12.96%), iron (11.69%), aluminum (11.29%) and hydrogen (3.80%) as well. It doesn't show any radioactive properties whatsoever. It occurs in tin mines. Paravauxite has a vitreous luster, with one exception on b(100), where it is pearly. It grows in small crystals, which's size can reach up to 5×2×1.5 mm. Crystals are somewhat flattened parallel to b(100). Even with atmospheric humidity, paravauxite's hydrogen dioxide content varies considerably. The mineral's formula is complex, that's why it's really unlikely that it gets simplified by further analyses. There's only one occurrence where vauxite and paravauxite are seen together in one specimen. It's a small, cavernous, mass of druzy-green wavellite. It has blue vauxite in small radial aggregates, and a singular colorless paravauxite. One of blue vauxite's radial aggregates has this crystal implanted on top.

Formation and mining

Other than vauxite and metavauxite, it is also associated with

wavellite Wavellite is an aluminium basic phosphate mineral with formula Al3( P O4)2(O H, F)3·5 H2O. Distinct crystals are rare, and it normally occurs as translucent green radial or spherical clusters. Discovery and occurrence Wavellite was first d ...

, but rarely occurs on the latter. It is the type locality of

Llallagua Llallagua (in hispanicized spelling) or Llallawa (Aymara for a monstrous potato (like two potatoes) or animal, Quechua for the god of seed-time during the Inca period) is a town in the Potosí Department in Bolivia. It is the seat of the Llalla ...

, Bolivia. It can also be found in Germany, Mexico, the United States, Portugal, Sweden, with a couple of other countries.

References

{{reflist Minerals Triclinic minerals