Kolbeckite Locality: Schlarbaum quarry, Klause , Bad Gleichenberg , Styria , Austria ( Locality at mindat.org ) Size: 4.9 x 3.9 x 2.3 cm. Kolbeckite is a very rare scandium-rich phosphate mineral species (and there are not many such species). This is from a classic occurrence, and features relatively large spherical aggregates of microcrystals to just over 1mm in size, nicely isolated and so easily eye-visible. This is, for the material, extremely rich. — Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0
Kolbeckite
Scandium phosphate dihydrate — a rare scandium mineral discovered in 1926 at Schmiedeberg, Saxony.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Kolbeckite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the phosphate class, with the chemical formula Sc(PO₄)·2H₂O.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system (space group P2_1/n). It is a member of the Phosphosiderite structural group.
Key properties: Mohs hardness 3–5; specific gravity 2.36; Vitreous to pearly luster; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Kbe, IMA status: approved, named in 1926.
Found as a very rare secondary mineral in some hydrothermal metallic veins and phosphate deposits.
It is found associated with Chlorite, quartz (Sadisdorf mine, Germany); miargyrite, diaphorite (Baia Sprie, Romania); wardite, crandallite, variscite (Fairfield, Utah, USA).
The mineral was named to honor Dr. Friedrich Ludwig Wilhelm Kolbeck (1860–1943), German mineralogist, Mining Academy, Freiberg, Germany.