Kovdorskite Locality: Kovdor Mine, Kovdor Massif, Kola Peninsula , Murmanskaja Oblast', Northern Region , Russia ( Locality at mindat.org ) This cluster of cream-colored kovdorskite on matrix comes from the huge alkali massif on the Kola Peninsula. The longest crystal is almost 2 cm and the crystals exhibit a glassy luster. This recently defined rare species (10 years old) does occasionally come in faint blue and pink crystals, but they are very rare. THis comes from a later pocket found about 6 years ago, which produced these exceptional matrix specimens richly covered in crysatls and among the most densely crystallized examples of the species. It is quite nice for the size, and somewhat more aesthetic in person. 3.9 x 5.2 x 3.2 cm — Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0
Kovdorskite
A rare hydrated magnesium phosphate found only in the Kovdor massif on Russia's Kola Peninsula.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Kovdorskite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the phosphate class, with the chemical formula Mg₂(PO₄)(OH)·3H₂O.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system (space group P2_1/a).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 4; specific gravity 2.28; refractive index 1.539; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Kov, IMA status: approved, named in 1979.
Found as a very rare mineral in an explosive breccia pipe cutting an iron ore deposit in a carbonatized ultramafic-alkalic intrusive.
It is found associated with Collinsite, magnesite, dolomite, hydrotalcite, apatite, magnetite, forsterite.
The name refers to the Kovdor massif, Russia, in which it was first found to occur.