:Locality: Har Parsa, Hatrurim Formation, Negev Desert, Israel Size: 1.2 × 1.1 × 0.6 cm Description: A natural harmunite. Polished preparation of a larnite pebble of the pseudo-conglomerate, the cement of which consists of intensely altered larnite-bearing rocks, fluorellestadite, perowskite, magnesioferrite, and harmunite are intergrown in the sample. Accompanied by khesinite and gehlenite. Harmunite (ideally CaFe2O4) was found in the natural environment for the first time in 2014 in pyrometamorpic larnite rocks of the Hatrurim Complex that lies near Jabel Harmun. Few anthropogenic origin specimens has been found from Kuznetsky and Chelabynsk coal basin from Russia. SEM image — Photo: Joan Rosell , from rosellminerals.com · CC BY-SA 4.0
Harmunite
Harmunite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the oxides & hydroxide class, with the chemical formula CaFe₂O₄.
It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system (space group Pnma). It is a member of the Post-spinel structural group.
Key properties: Mohs hardness 5.5; specific gravity 4.404.
IMA symbol Hmu, IMA status: approved, named in 2012.
Found in pyrometamorphic larnite pebbles of a pseudo-conglomerate, the cement of which consists of intensely altered larnite-bearing rocks, likely formed in the presence of sulfate melt.
It is found associated with Srebrodolskite, magnesioferrite, larnite, fluorellestadite, ye’elimite, fluormayenite, gehlenite, ternesite, calciolangbeinite.
The name refers to Mt. Harmun, from where the first specimens were collected.