Articles | Volume 36, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-36-863-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-36-863-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Bonacinaite, Sc(AsO4) ⋅ 2H2O, the first scandium arsenate
Marco E. Ciriotti
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
AMI – Associazione Micromineralogica Italiana, via San Pietro 55, 10073 Devesi-Cirié, Italy
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, via Tommaso Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Turin, Italy
Uwe Kolitsch
Mineralogisch-Petrographische Abt., Naturhistorisches Museum, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Institut für Mineralogie und Kristallographie, Universität Wien, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Fernando Cámara
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra “Ardito Desio”, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 34, 20133 Milan, Italy
Pietro Vignola
CNR – Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria, via Mario Bianco 9, 20131 Milan, Italy
Frédéric Hatert
Laboratoire de Minéralogie, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Erica Bittarello
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, via Tommaso Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Turin, Italy
Roberto Bracco
AMI – Associazione Micromineralogica Italiana, via Montenotte 18/6, 17100, Savona, Italy
Giorgio Maria Bortolozzi
AMI – Associazione Micromineralogica Italiana, via Dogali 20, 31100 Treviso, Italy
deceased
Related authors
Giuseppe Illuminati, Silvia Musetti, Fabio Bellatreccia, Cristian Biagioni, Enrico Caprilli, Ahmad Rabiee, and Marco E. Ciriotti
Eur. J. Mineral., 37, 483–504, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-37-483-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-37-483-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In this work, we present the most iron-rich chrysoberyl discovered to date, found in the Sabatini Volcanic Complex (Latium, Italy). We provide a comprehensive overview of its chemical, structural, spectroscopic, and optical properties. The characterization of this chrysoberyl reveals several unique features, offering valuable insights into its genetic model and geochemical constraints, which are consistent with existing literature on the Sabatini complex and with ongoing research.
Cristian Biagioni, Marco E. Ciriotti, Georges Favreau, Daniela Mauro, and Federica Zaccarini
Eur. J. Mineral., 34, 365–374, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-34-365-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-34-365-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The paper reports the type description of the new mineral species graulichite-(La). This is a new addition to the dussertite group within the alunite supergroup, and its discovery improves our knowledge on the crystal chemistry of this important supergroup of minerals, having both technological and environmental applications.
Dan Holtstam, Fernando Cámara, and Andreas Karlsson
Eur. J. Mineral., 38, 169–177, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-38-169-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-38-169-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Friisite is a newly identified mineral, with the chemical formula Pb8Al3Si8O27Cl3, from the Långban mine in Sweden, found as tiny, white, flaky grains within a skarn matrix alongside jagoite and other silicates. It has a sub-adamantine luster, perfect basal cleavage, a hardness of 4–5, and a high density of 5.54 g cm−³. Structurally it is a hexagonal phyllosilicate, closely related to jagoite in a polysomatic series. The mineral is named in honor of Danish mineralogist Henrik Friis.
Giuseppe Illuminati, Silvia Musetti, Fabio Bellatreccia, Cristian Biagioni, Enrico Caprilli, Ahmad Rabiee, and Marco E. Ciriotti
Eur. J. Mineral., 37, 483–504, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-37-483-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-37-483-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In this work, we present the most iron-rich chrysoberyl discovered to date, found in the Sabatini Volcanic Complex (Latium, Italy). We provide a comprehensive overview of its chemical, structural, spectroscopic, and optical properties. The characterization of this chrysoberyl reveals several unique features, offering valuable insights into its genetic model and geochemical constraints, which are consistent with existing literature on the Sabatini complex and with ongoing research.
Dan Holtstam, Fernando Cámara, Henrik Skogby, Andreas Karlsson, and Alessandro De Leo
Eur. J. Mineral., 37, 221–231, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-37-221-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-37-221-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The mineral clino-ferro-suenoite, with the chemical formula ◻Mn2Fe2+5Si8O22(OH)2, was historically named “dannemorite” or “manganogrunerite” and is a member of the amphibole supergroup. It is now formally approved by the International Mineralogical Association. It occurs in iron–manganese-bearing rock from the Hilläng mines, Dalarna, Sweden, and is associated with the minerals fayalite, spessartine, ferro-actinolite, calcite, magnetite and pyrite. It formed by replacement of Mn-bearing fayalite.
Ruggero Vigliaturo, Giulia Pia Servetto, Erica Bittarello, Quentin Wehrung, Jean-François Brilhac, and Gwenaëlle Trouvé
Eur. J. Mineral., 36, 831–843, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-36-831-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-36-831-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Technology for producing energy with zero-carbon emissions must be developed in light of the current climate emergency. Using recyclable metal fuels, such as magnesium (Mg), is one practical solution. Metals can therefore be seen as regenerable fuels and new energy vectors since the energy they contain can be transferred and released through metal combustion. To optimize the particle trapping capacity of the investigated system, we successfully characterized magnesium oxide (MgO) crystals.
Dan Holtstam, Fernando Cámara, Andreas Karlsson, Henrik Skogby, and Thomas Zack
Eur. J. Mineral., 34, 451–462, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-34-451-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-34-451-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
A new mineral has been discovered, an amphibole, with the name ferri-taramite, which has now been approved by the International Mineralogical Association. The paper discusses the significance of the discovery in relation to other amphiboles found worldwide. This taramite is unique in that it is from a skarn associated with ore and is not of magmatic origin. For the description we have used many methods, including X-ray diffraction, chemical analyses and several types of spectroscopy.
Cristian Biagioni, Marco E. Ciriotti, Georges Favreau, Daniela Mauro, and Federica Zaccarini
Eur. J. Mineral., 34, 365–374, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-34-365-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-34-365-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The paper reports the type description of the new mineral species graulichite-(La). This is a new addition to the dussertite group within the alunite supergroup, and its discovery improves our knowledge on the crystal chemistry of this important supergroup of minerals, having both technological and environmental applications.
Fernando Cámara, Dan Holtstam, Nils Jansson, Erik Jonsson, Andreas Karlsson, Jörgen Langhof, Jaroslaw Majka, and Anders Zetterqvist
Eur. J. Mineral., 33, 659–673, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-33-659-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-33-659-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Zinkgruvanite, a barium manganese iron silicate with sulfate, is a new mineral found in drill core samples from the Zinkgruvan zinc, lead and silver mine in Sweden. It is associated with other minerals like baryte, barytocalcite, diopside and sulfide minerals. It occurs as flattened and elongated crystals up to 1 mm. It is almost black. Zinkgruvanite is closely related to the mineral yoshimuraite and based on its crystal structure, grouped with the ericssonite group of minerals.
Cited articles
Ardit, M., Phillips, B. L., and Bish, D. L.: Crystal structure determination of orthorhombic variscite 2O and its derivative AlPO4 structure at high temperature, Am. Mineral., 107, 1385–1395, 2022.
Baldelli, C., Dal Piaz, G. V., and Polino, R.: Le quarziti a manganese e cromo di Varenche-St. Barthélemy, una sequenza di copertura oceanica della falda piemontese, Ofioliti, 8, 207–221, 1983 (in Italian).
Barresi, A. A., Kolitsch, U., Ciriotti, M. E., Ambrino, P., Bracco, R., and Bonacina, E.: La miniera di manganese di Varenche (Aosta, Italia Nord-Occidentale): ardennite, arseniopleite, manganberzeliite, pirofanite, sarkinite, sursassite, thortveithite, nuovo As-Sc-analogo della metavariscite e altre specie, Micro, 3, 81–122, 2005 (in Italian with English, French and German abstracts).
Barresi, A. A., Kolitsch, U., Ciriotti, M. E., Ambrino, P., Bracco, R., and Bonacina, E.: Errata corrige: Varenche, Micro, 5, 180, 2007a (in Italian).
Barresi, A. A., Orlandi, P., and Pasero, M.: History of ardennite and the new mineral ardennite-(V), Eur. J. Mineral., 19, 581–587, https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2007/0019-1745, 2007b.
Bonazzi, P., Menchetti, S., and Reinecke, T.: Solid solution between piemontite and androsite-(La), a new mineral of the epidote group from Andros Island, Greece, Am. Mineral., 81, 735–742, 1996.
Bonino, F. L., Bittarello, E., Costa, E., and Ciriotti, M. E.: Nuovi minerali per la sistematica della miniera di Varenche (Valle d'Aosta): prima segnalazione italiana di falottaite, Micro, 21, 315–323, 2023 (in Italian with English, French and German abstracts).
Borensztajn, J.: Structures cristallines de métavariscite et de la métastrengite, B. Soc. Fr. Minéral. Cr., 89, 428–438, 1966 (in French).
Borgese, F.: Gli elementi della tavola periodica. Rinvenimento, proprietà, usi. Prontuario chimico, fisico, geologico, CISU, Roma, 254 pp., 1993 (in Italian).
Bruhns, W. and Busz, K. H. E. G.: Phosphosiderit, ein neues Mineral von der Grube Kalterborn bei Eiserfeld im Siegenschen, Z. Kristallogr., 17, 555–560, 1890 (in German).
Bull, I., Young, V., Teat, S. J., Peng, L., Grey, C. P., and Parise, J. B.: Hydrothermal synthesis and structural characterization of four scandium phosphate frameworks, Chem. Mater., 15, 3818–3825, 2003
Cámara, F., Ciriotti, M. E., Kolitsch, U., Vignola, P., Hatert, F., Bittarello, E., Bracco, R., and Bortolozzi, G. M.: Bonacinaite, IMA 2018-056, CNMNC Newsletter No. 45, October 2018, p. 1228, Mineral. Mag., 82, 1225–1232, 2018.
Carron, M. K., Mrose, M. E., and Murata, K. J.: Relation of ionic radius to structures of rare-earth phosphates, arsenates, and vanadates, Am. Mineral., 43, 985–989, 1958.
Degen, T., Sadki, M., Bron, E., König, U., and Nénert, G.: The HighScore suite, Powder Diffr., 29, S13–S18, 2014.
Dick, S.: Die Struktur von GaAsO4 ⚫ 2H2O: Ein neues Mitglied der Variscit-Familie, Z. Naturforsch., B52, 1337–1340, 1997 (in German).
Edelmann, F.: Kolbeckit, ein neues sächsisches Mineral, Jahrbuch für das Berg- und Hüttenwesen im Sachsen, 100, 23–74, 1926 (in German).
Fanfani, L. and Zanazzi, P. F.: Crystalline structure of metastrengite, Atti della Reale Accademia dei Lincei, Memorie della Classe di scienze fisiche, matematiche e naturali, Rendiconti, 40, 880–889, 1966 (in Italian).
Foord, E. E., Birmingham, S. D., Demartin, F., Pilati, T., Gramaccioli, C. M., and Lichte, F. E.: Thortveitite and associated Sc-bearing minerals from Ravalli County, Montana, Can. Mineral., 31, 337–346, 1993.
Fritsch, E., Karampelas, S., and Mevellec, J.-Y.: Raman spectra of gem-quality variscite and metavariscite, J. Raman Spectrosc., 48, 1554–1558, 2017.
Frondel, C.: Crystal chemistry of scandium as a trace element in mineral, Z. Kristallogr., 127, 121–138, 1968.
Frost, R. L., Weier, M. L., Erickson, K. L., Carmody, O., and Mills, S. J.: Raman spectroscopy of phosphates of the variscite mineral group, J. Raman Spectrosc., 35, 1047–1055, 2004.
Gritsenko, Y. D., Vigasina, M. F., Dedushenko, S. K., Ksenofontov, D. A., Melchakova, L. V., and Ogorodova, L. P.: As-bearing phosphosiderite from Copiapo District, Atacama, Chile, Geochem. Int., 60, 1029–1032, 2022.
Huang, X.-L. and Shenker, M.: Water-soluble and solid-state speciation of phosphorus in stabilized sewage sludge, J. Environ. Qual., 33, 1895–903, 2004.
Kloprogge, T. and Wood, B. J.: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic and Raman microscopic investigation of the variscite group minerals: Variscite, strengite, scorodite and mansfieldite, Spectrochim. Acta A, 185, 163–172, 2017.
Kniep, R. and Mootz, D.: Metavariscite – A redetermination of its crystal structure, Acta Crystallogr. B, 29, 2292–2294, 1973.
Knops-Gerrits, P.-P., Toufar, H., Li, X.-Y., Grobet, P., Schoonheydt, R. A., Jacobs, P. A., and Goddard III, W. A.: The structure of water in crystalline aluminophosphates: isolated water and intermolecular clusters probed by Raman spectroscopy, NMR and structural modeling, J. Phys. Chem. A, 104, 2410–2422, 2000.
Kolitsch, U., Weil, M., Kovrugin, V. M., and Krivovichev, S. V.: Crystal chemistry of the variscite and metavariscite groups: Crystal structures of synthetic CrAsO4⋅2H2O, TlPO4⋅2H2O, MnSeO4⋅2H2O, CdSeO4⋅2H2O and natural bonacinaite, ScAsO4⋅2H2O, Mineral. Mag., 84, 568–583, 2020.
Komissarova, L. N., Pushkina, G. Y., and Khrameeva, N. P.: Preparation and some properties of scandium arsenate dihydrate, Zh. Neorg. Khim., 16, 1538–1541, 1971 (in Russian).
Komissarova, L. N., Pushkina, G. Y., Khrameeva, N. P., and Teterin, E. G.: Scandium arsenates, Zh. Neorg. Khim., 18, 2316–2323, 1973 (in Russian).
Ivanov-Emin, B. N., Korotaeva, L. G., Moskalenko, V. I., and Ezhov, A. I.: Scandium arsenates, Zh. Neorg. Khim., 16, 2925–2928, 1971 (in Russian).
Lamoso, I. S. M. and Atencio, D.: Zoned phosphosiderite-metavariscite crystals from Eduardo Mine, Conselheiro Pena, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Geologia USP – Serie Cientifica, 17, 23–27, 2017.
Larsen, E. S. and Schaller, W. T.: The identity of variscite and peganite and the dimorphous form, metavariscite, Am. Mineral., 10, 23–28, 1925.
Larson, A. C. and Von Dreele, R. B.: General Structure Analysis System (GSAS), Los Alamos National Laboratory Report LAUR, 86–748, 1994.
Le Berre, J.-F., Gauvin, R., and Demopoulos, G. P.: Synthesis, structure, and stability of gallium arsenate dihydrate, indium arsenate dihydrate, and lanthanum arsenate, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 46, 7875–7882, 2007.
Loiseau, T., Paulet, C., and Férey, G.: Crystal structure determination of the hydrated gallium phosphate GaPO4 ⚫ 2H2O, analog of variscite, C.R. Acad. Sci. II C, 1, 667–674, 1998.
Momma, K. and Izumi, F.: VESTA 3 for three-dimensional visualization of crystal, volumetric and morphology data, J. Appl. Crystallogr., 44, 1272–1276, 2011.
Mooney-Slater, R. C. L.: X-ray diffraction study of indium phosphate dihydrate and isostructural thallic compounds, Acta Crystallogr., 14, 1140–1146, 1961.
Mooney-Slater, R. C. L.: The crystal structure of hydrated gallium phosphate of composition GaPO4 ⚫ 2H2O, Acta Crystallogr., 20, 526–534, 1966.
Moore, P. B.: The crystal structure of metastrengite and its relationship to strengite and phosphophyllite, Am. Mineral., 51, 168–176, 1966.
Oberti, R., Boiocchi, M., Hawthorne, F. C., and Ciriotti, M. E.: Magnesio-riebeckite from the Varenche mine (Aosta Valley, Italy): crystal-chemical characterization of a grandfathered end-member, Mineral. Mag., 81, 1431–1437, 2017.
O'Day, P. A.: Chemistry and Mineralogy of Arsenic, Elements, 2, 77–83, 2006.
Pasero, M., Reinecke, T., and Fransolet, A.-M.: Crystal structure refinements and compositional control of Mn-Mg-Ca ardennites from the Belgian Ardennes, Greece and the Western Alps, Neues Jb. Miner. Abh., 166, 137–167, 1994.
Pelloux, A.: Miniere e minerali manganesiferi della Valle d'Aosta, Rendiconti dei lavori dell'Ufficio Invenzioni e Ricerche – Giacimenti italiani di minerali accessori per la siderurgia, 1, 22–38, 1922 (in Italian).
Sabatini, A., Dapporto, P., and Bedini, E.: Tavola periodica e proprietà degli elementi (IUPAC), Edizioni Idelson Gnocchi, Napoli, Italy, 2017 (in Italian).
Schindler, M., Joswig, W., and Baur, W. H.: Preparation and crystal structures of the vanadium phosphates VPO4 ⚫ 2H2O and V5.12(PO4)4(OH)3.36(H2O)0.64 ⚫ 0.84H2O, Eur. J. Sol. State Inor., 32, 109–120, 1995.
Sergeeva, A. V.: To the question of variscite and metavariscite formation, phase equilibria in the system Al2O3 – H2O – P2O5. Zapiski RMO, 145, 101–113, 2016 (in Russian).
Sheldrick, G. M.: A short history of SHELX, Acta Crystallogr. A, 64, 112–122, 2008.
Siegfried, P., Wall, F., and Moore, K.: In search of the forgotten rare earth, Geoscientist, 28, 10–15, 2018.
Smith, D. G. W. and Nickel, E. H.: A system for codification for unnamed minerals: report of the Subcommittee for Unnamed Minerals of the IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification, Can. Mineral., 45, 983–1055, 2007.
Song, Y., Zavalij, P. Y., Suzuki, M., and Whittingham, M. S.: New iron(III) phosphate phases: crystal structure and electrochemical and magnetic properties, Inorg. Chem., 41, 5778–5786, 2002.
Spencer, E. C., Soghomonian, V., and Ross, N. L.: Gallium arsenate dihydrate under pressure: elastic properties, compression mechanism, and hydrogen bonding, Inorg. Chem., 54, 7548–7554, 2015.
Sugiyama, K., Yu, J., Hiraga, K., and Terasaki, O.: Monoclinic InPO4 ⚫ 2H2O, Acta Crystallogr. C, 55, 279–281, 1999.
Tang, X., Gentiletti, M. J., and Lachgar, A.: Synthesis and crystal structure of indium arsenate and phosphate dihydrates with variscite and metavariscite structure types, J. Chem. Crystallogr., 31, 45–50, 2002.
Taxer, K. and Bartl, H.: On the dimorphy between the variscite and clinovariscite group: refined finestructural relationship of strengite and clinostrengite, Fe(PO4) ⚫ 2H2O, Cryst. Res. Technol., 39, 1080–1088, 2004.
Warr, L. N.: IMA-CNMNC approved mineral symbols, Mineral. Mag., 85, 291–320, 2021.
Yang, H., Li, C., Jenkins, R. A., Downs, R. T., and Costin, G.: Kolbeckite, ScPO4 ⋅ 2H2O, isomorphous with metavariscite, Acta Crystallogr. C, 63, i91–i92, 2004.
Yang, H., Li, C., Jenkins, R. A., Downs, R. T., and Costin, G.: Kolbeckite, ScPO4 ⋅ 2H2O, isomorphous with metavariscite, Acta Crystallogr. C, 63, i91–i92, 2007.
Short summary
The article provides the standard description of bonacinaite, Sc3+(AsO4)·2H2O, the first natural scandium arsenate. The new mineral species was found in a few specimens in the dumps of the old Varenche Mine, Valle d'Aosta, Italy, which is therefore the type locality and the only locality in the world. Bonacinaite forms colourless (with faint to distinct violet tints), pseudohexagonal, thick tabular crystals, up to 0.25 mm in size, or as small, faintly violet lath-shaped crystals.
The article provides the standard description of bonacinaite, Sc3+(AsO4)·2H2O, the first natural...