Dark red crystals of palenzonaite, a very rare Ca-Na-Mn vanadate found only in a very few localities worldwide. This sample comes from Molinello (Molinello Mine, Graveglia Valley, Liguria, Italy), the most typical locality for the mineral and also the type locality. — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY-SA 4.0
Palenzonaite
A rare berzeliite-group vanadate discovered in 1987, named for chemist Andrea Palenzona.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Palenzonaite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the vanadate class, with the chemical formula (NaCa₂)Mn²⁺₂(VO₄)₃.
It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system (space group Ia3d). It is a member of the Garnet structural group.
Key properties: Mohs hardness 5–5.5; specific gravity 3.63; Brownish red streak; Adamantine luster.
IMA symbol Plz, IMA status: approved, named in 1986.
A rare mineral found in narrow veinlets cutting a manganese deposit hosted within radiolarian cherts (Molinello mine, Italy).
It is found associated with Manganoan calcite, saneroite, ganophyllite, axinite (Molinello mine, Italy); medaite, saneroite, pyrobelonite, fianelite, parsettensite, rhodochrosite.
In honor of Professor Andrea Palenzona, amateur mineralogist and discoverer of the mineral.