Vantasselite is a rare

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

phosphate mineral Phosphate minerals are minerals that contain the tetrahedrally coordinated phosphate () anion, sometimes with arsenate () and vanadate () substitutions, along with chloride (Cl−), fluoride (F−), and hydroxide (OH−) anions, that also fit in ...

with formula: Al₄(PO₄)₃(OH)₃ •9H₂O. It crystallizes in the

orthorhombic In crystallography, the orthorhombic crystal system is one of the 7 crystal systems. Orthorhombic Lattice (group), lattices result from stretching a cubic crystal system, cubic lattice along two of its orthogonal pairs by two different factors, res ...

system and has a white color, a hardness of 2 to 2.5, a white streak and a pearly luster. It occurs in a

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tecton ...

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mining, open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock (geology), rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some juri ...

north of Bihain,

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

It was first described in 1987 and named after Belgian

mineralogist Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical mineralogy, optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifact (archaeology), artifacts. Specific s ...

René Van Tassel.

References

Phosphate minerals Aluminium minerals Orthorhombic minerals {{phosphate-mineral-stub