Switzerite is a mineral with the chemical formula of (Mn)
3(PO
4)
2·7H
2O.
[ Leavens, Peter B., White, John S. Jr., and Zanazzi, Pier F. (1986) Switzerite redefined as, Mn3(PO4)2·7H2O, and metaswitzerite, Mn3(PO4)2·4H2O. American Mineralogist, 71, 1221-1223.] The mineral was named after
George Switzer, former Curator of Minerals at the US National Museum.
[ Leavens, Peter B. and White, John S. Jr. (1967) Switzerite, (Mn,Fe)3(PO4)2·4H2O, A New Mineral. American Mineralogist, 52, 1595-1602.]The mineral is monoclinic prismatic, meaning that it has one mirror plane, one 2-fold rotation axis which is perpendicular to the mirror plane and a center of symmetry. Switzerite is a part of the monoclinic space group P 2
1/a.
[ Leavens, Peter B. and White, John S. Jr. (1967) Switzerite, (Mn,Fe)3(PO4)2·4H2O, A New Mineral. American Mineralogist, 52, 1595-1602.] For its optical properties, Switzerite is classified as anisotropic, has a low surface relief and birefringence of δ = 0.020.
[ Leavens, Peter B. and White, John S. Jr. (1967) Switzerite, (Mn,Fe)3(PO4)2·4H2O, A New Mineral. American Mineralogist, 52, 1595-1602.]
Switzerite was first discovered in the 1960s and is a relatively uncommon mineral found in a few localities in Europe, North America, and Australia. This mineral is found in phosphate mines, along with other phosphate minerals. Alone, Switzerite does not have a huge significance due to its rarity and extremely small size. This mineral is found with other phosphate minerals thus, the importance of Switzerite is that it is used, along with the other phosphate minerals, for agricultural purposes. It is unstable and immediately dehydrates into
metaswitzerite on exposure to the atmosphere.
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References
Iron(II) minerals
Manganese(II) minerals
Phosphate minerals
Monoclinic minerals
Minerals in space group 14
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