Brown microcrystals of the very rare mineral starovaite (IMA 2011-085) associated to green lammerite from the type locality for lammerite: Yadovitaya Fumarole, Second Scoria Cone, Great Fissure, Tolbachik Volcano, Kamchatka Krai, Russian Federation. Ex-Igor Pekov specimen. — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY-SA 4.0
Starovaite
Starovaite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the vanadate class, with the chemical formula KCu₅O(VO₄)₃.
It crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system (space group P-1).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 3.5–4; specific gravity 4.54; Yellowish brown streak; Semi-metallic. Anistropism: Weak. Bireflectance: Weak luster.
IMA symbol Sro, IMA status: approved, named in 2011.
Found in sublimates around a volcanic fumarole.
It is found associated with Lammerite, hematite, palmierite, tenorite, piypite, rutile, orthoclase, lyonsite, pseudolyonsite, lammerite-β, langbeinite, calciolangbeinite, cupromolybdite.
The mineral was named to honor Russian crystallographer and crystal chemist Galina L. Starova (b. 1946) for her contributions to the crystal chemistry of minerals from the Tolbachik fumaroles.