Several single crystals of the very rare uranium vanadium mineral from the type locality in Mounana: Mounana Mine, Franceville, Haut-Ogooue, Gabon. — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY-SA 4.0
Vanuralite
A yellow aluminium uranyl vanadate — its name compresses its V-U-Al composition.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Vanuralite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the vanadate class, with the chemical formula Al(UO₂)₂(VO₄)₂(OH)·8.5H₂O.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system (space group A2/a).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 2; specific gravity 3.62; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Vnr, IMA status: approved, named in 1963.
Found in the oxidized zone of a lead-bearing U–V deposit (Mounana mine, Gabon).
It is found associated with Metavanuralite, francevillite, curienite, duttonite, chervetite, brackebuschite, mottramite, carnotite, dewindtite, torbernite, uranopilite, johannite, kasolite.
The name refers to VANadium, URanium, and ALuminum in the composition.