Orange crystal aggregates of the rare member of the monazite group, monazite-(La), from Lovozero, Russia (Pegmatite #47, Lepkhe-Nel'm Mountain, Seidozero Lake, — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY 4.0
Monazite
Also known as: Monazite-(Ce).
A reddish-brown rare-earth phosphate — the group is dominated by monazite-(Ce) — and a major ore of thorium and the lanthanides.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Monazite is a mineral group, with the chemical formula (Ce,La,Nd,Th)PO₄.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system.
Key properties: Mohs hardness 5–5.5; specific gravity 5.178; typically brown or red or yellow or orange; refractive index 1.804; optically biaxial.
Collections: Collector Favorites, Rare & Remarkable.
Index entry. This entry combines official IMA/RRUFF species data with published physical-property data and a Wikipedia introduction — a full written entry hasn’t been published yet.
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