YPO
Xenotime-(Y) is extremely rare at Mont Saint-Hilaire.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color is usually colorless or white to grayish.
Luster is vitreous to adamantine.
Diaphaneity is transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is tetragonal; amd
Crystal Habits include short tetragonal prisms and radiating
spherical aggregates.
Cleavage {010} is perfect.
Fracture is splintery to uneven.
Hardness is 4 – 5.
Specific Gravity is approximately 4.7 g/cm
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include analcime, chlorite group, fluorite,
microcline, rutile, siderite and zircon.
Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit and luster.
Origin: Named in 1832 from the Greek xenos, a stranger, referring
to the mineral’s occurrence in small and rare crystals that were long
overlooked.
CLASSIFICATION:
Dana System
# 38.4.11.1
Strunz Classification
# VII/A.14-10
REFERENCES:
MinRec 21:347 (1990), Dana 8:729-730 (1997)
DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:
MSH
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