Vivianite () is a

hydrated In chemistry, a hydrate is a substance that contains water or its constituent elements. The chemical state of the water varies widely between different classes of hydrates, some of which were so labeled before their chemical structure was understo ...

iron(II)

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 ...

found in a number of geological environments. Small amounts of

manganese Manganese is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese was first isolated in the 1770s. It is a transition m ...

Mn²⁺,

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 ...

Mg²⁺, and

calcium Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to it ...

Ca²⁺ may substitute for

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

Fe²⁺ in its structure.Gaines et al (1997) Dana's New Mineralogy Eighth Edition. Wiley Pure vivianite is colorless, but the

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...

oxidizes very easily, changing the color, and it is usually found as deep blue to deep bluish green

prismatic An optical prism is a transparent optics, optical element with flat, polished surfaces that are designed to refraction, refract light. At least one surface must be angled—elements with two parallel surfaces are ''not'' prisms. The most fami ...

to flattened crystals. Vivianite crystals are often found inside

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

shells, such as those of

bivalve Bivalvia () or bivalves, in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class (biology), class of aquatic animal, aquatic molluscs (marine and freshwater) that have laterally compressed soft bodies enclosed b ...

s and

gastropod Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...

s, or attached to fossil bone. Vivianite can also appear on the iron coffins or on the corpses of humans as a result of a chemical reaction of the decomposing body with the iron enclosure. It was named by

Abraham Gottlob Werner Abraham Gottlob Werner (; 25 September 174930 June 1817) was a German geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chem ...

, the "father of German geology", in 1817, the year of his death, after either

John Henry Vivian John Henry Vivian FRS (9 August 1785 – 10 February 1855) was a Welsh industrialist and politician of Cornish extraction. He was a member of the Vivian family. Vivian was the son of John Vivian (1750–1826), of Truro, Cornwall, and his ...

(1785–1855), a Welsh-Cornish politician, mine owner and mineralogist living in

Truro Truro (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England; it is the southernmost city in the United Kingdom, just under west-south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is Cornwall's county town, s ...

, Cornwall, England, or after Jeffrey G. Vivian, an English mineralogist. Vivianite was discovered at Wheal Kind, in

St Agnes, Cornwall St Agnes () is a civil parish and town on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is about north of Redruth and southwest of Newquay. ''and'' An electoral ward exists stretching as far south as Blackwater. The po ...

Vivianite group

Vivianite group minerals have the general formula A₃(XO₄)₂·8H₂O, where A is a

divalent In chemistry, the valence (US spelling) or valency (British spelling) of an atom is a measure of its combining capacity with other atoms when it forms chemical compounds or molecules. Valence is generally understood to be the number of chemica ...

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

cation An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...

and X is either

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol P and atomic number 15. All elemental forms of phosphorus are highly Reactivity (chemistry), reactive and are therefore never found in nature. They can nevertheless be prepared ar ...

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol As and atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is not ...

, and they are

monoclinic In crystallography, the monoclinic crystal system is one of the seven crystal systems. A crystal system is described by three Vector (geometric), vectors. In the monoclinic system, the crystal is described by vectors of unequal lengths, as in t ...

.Journal of the Russell Society (2006) 9:3 Group members are:
: Related: : – Bobierrite: Mg₃(PO₄)₂·8H₂O : – Symplesite: Fe²⁺₃(AsO₄)₂·8H₂O : – Metaköttigite: Zn₃(AsO₄)₂·8H₂O : –

Metavivianite Metavivianite () is a hydrated iron phosphate mineral found in a number of geological environments. As a secondary mineral it is typically formed from oxidizing vivianite. Metavivianite is typically found as dark blue or dark green prismatic to f ...

: (Fe²⁺,Fe³⁺)(PO₄)₂(OH)·H₂O. : Note: Metavivianite, that vivianite readily alters to, is not a member of the vivianite group because it contains

trivalent In chemistry, the valence (US spelling) or valency (British spelling) of an atom is a measure of its combining capacity with other atoms when it forms chemical compounds or molecules. Valence is generally understood to be the number of chemica ...

Fe³⁺ cations.

Structure

In pure

end member An endmember (also end-member or end member) in mineralogy is a mineral that is at the extreme end of a mineral series in terms of purity of its chemical composition. Minerals often can be described as solid solutions with varying compositions of ...

vivianite all the iron is

, Fe²⁺, but there are two distinct sites in the structure that these

ions An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...

can occupy. In the first site, the Fe²⁺ is surrounded by four

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

molecules A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions that satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry ...

and two

oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...

s, making an

octahedral In geometry, an octahedron (: octahedra or octahedrons) is any polyhedron with eight faces. One special case is the regular octahedron, a Platonic solid composed of eight equilateral triangles, four of which meet at each vertex. Many types of i ...

group. In the second site, the Fe²⁺ is surrounded by two water molecules and four oxygens, again making an octahedral group. The oxygens are part of the

phosphate Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus. In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...

groups (PO₄³⁻), that are

tetrahedral In geometry, a tetrahedron (: tetrahedra or tetrahedrons), also known as a triangular pyramid, is a polyhedron composed of four triangular Face (geometry), faces, six straight Edge (geometry), edges, and four vertex (geometry), vertices. The tet ...

. The vivianite structure has chains of these octahedra and tetrahedra that form sheets perpendicular to the a-

crystal axis In crystallography, crystal structure is a description of ordered arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystalline material. Ordered structures occur from intrinsic nature of constituent particles to form symmetric patterns that repeat a ...

. The sheets are held together by weak bonds, and that accounts for the perfect

cleavage Cleavage may refer to: Science * Cleavage (crystal), the way in which a crystal or mineral tends to split * Cleavage (embryo), the division of cells in an early embryo * Cleavage (geology), foliation of rock perpendicular to stress, a result of ...

between them. The crystals are

class Class, Classes, or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used d ...

2/m,

space group In mathematics, physics and chemistry, a space group is the symmetry group of a repeating pattern in space, usually in three dimensions. The elements of a space group (its symmetry operations) are the rigid transformations of the pattern that ...

C 2/m, with two formula units per

unit cell In geometry, biology, mineralogy and solid state physics, a unit cell is a repeating unit formed by the vectors spanning the points of a lattice. Despite its suggestive name, the unit cell (unlike a unit vector In mathematics, a unit vector i ...

(Z = 2). The approximate values of the unit cell parameters are: :a = 10.1 Å, b = 13.4 Å, c = 4.7 Å and β = 104.3°, with slightly different values given by different sources: : a = 10.086 Å, b = 13.441 Å, c = 4.703 Å, β = 104.27° : a = 10.06 Å, b = 13.41 Å, c = 4.696 Å, β = 104.3° : a = 10.034–10.086 Å, b= 13.434–13.441 Å, c= 4.687–4.714 Å, β = 102.65–104.27° : a = 10.024(6) Å, b = 13.436(3) Å, c = 4.693(4) Å, β = 102.30(5)°

Appearance

The mineral may occur as crystals, or as masses or

concretions A concretion is a hard and compact mass formed by the precipitation of mineral cement within the spaces between particles, and is found in sedimentary rock or soil. Concretions are often ovoid or spherical in shape, although irregular shapes a ...

. The crystals are usually

parallel to the c-crystal axis, and flattened perpendicular to the b-axis.

Equant Equant (or punctum aequans) is a mathematical concept developed by Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD to account for the observed motion of the planets. The equant is used to explain the observed speed change in different stages of the plane ...

crystals are rarer. They may also occur as

stellate Stellate, meaning star-shaped, may be used to describe: Biology * Stellate cell (disambiguation) * Stellate ganglion * Stellate reticulum * Stellate veins * Stellate trichomes (hairs) Other * Stellate wounds from lacerations or incisions * S ...

(star-shaped) groups, or encrustations with a bladed or

fibrous Fiber (spelled fibre in British English; from ) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often inco ...

structure. Unaltered specimens are colorless to very pale green, but they

oxidize Redox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is ...

on exposure to light (and possibly also in situ) to blue, then darker green, brown, purple and purplish black. The streak is white, altering to dark blue or brown. Crystals are transparent to translucent with a vitreous luster, pearly on the cleavage surface, or dull and earthy.

Optical properties

Vivianite is biaxial (+) with

refractive indices In optics, the refractive index (or refraction index) of an optical medium is the ratio of the apparent speed of light in the air or vacuum to the speed in the medium. The refractive index determines how much the path of light is bent, or refrac ...

approximately: :n_α = 1.58, n_β = 1.6, n_γ = 1.6, but different sources give somewhat different values :n_α = 1.579, n_β = 1.602, n_γ = 1.637 :n_α = 1.579–1.616, n_β = 1.602–1.656, n_γ = 1.629–1.675 :n_α = 1.58–1.626, n_β = 1.598–1.662, n_γ = 1.627–1.699 Birefringence: δ = 0.050–0.059 or 0.0470–0.0730 The refractive indices increase with increasing oxidation, the birefringence decreases, and the

pleochroism Pleochroism is an optical phenomenon in which a substance has different colors when observed at different angles, especially with Polarization (waves), polarized light. Etymology The roots of the word are from Greek (). It was first made compou ...

on becomes stronger. The angle between the optic axes, 2V, has been measured as between 63° and 83.5°; it can also be calculated from the refractive indices, giving a value between 78° and 88°. The dispersion of the optic axes is weak, with r or non-existent. Vivianite is

pleochroic Pleochroism is an optical phenomenon in which a substance has different colors when observed at different angles, especially with polarized light. Etymology The roots of the word are from Greek (). It was first made compound in the German term ...

with X= blue, deep blue or indigo-blue; Y= pale yellowish green, pale bluish green or yellow-green; Z= pale yellowish green or olive-yellow. X is parallel to the b-

and Z is inclined to the c-crystal axis at an angle of 28.5°. It is not fluorescent.

Physical properties

Vivianite is a soft mineral, with

Mohs hardness The Mohs scale ( ) of mineral hardness is a qualitative ordinal scale, from 1 to 10, characterizing scratch resistance of mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fair ...

only to 2, and

specific gravity Relative density, also called specific gravity, is a dimensionless quantity defined as the ratio of the density (mass of a unit volume) of a substance to the density of a given reference material. Specific gravity for solids and liquids is nea ...

2.7. It splits easily, with perfect

perpendicular to the b-

, due to the sheet-like structure of the mineral. It is sectile, with a fibrous fracture, and thin laminae parallel to the cleavage plane are flexible. It is easily soluble in acids. It has a

melting point The melting point (or, rarely, liquefaction point) of a substance is the temperature at which it changes state of matter, state from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase (matter), phase exist in Thermodynamic equilib ...

of , it darkens in color in H₂O₂, and is not radioactive.

Geological setting

Vivianite is a

secondary mineral A primary mineral is any mineral formed during the original crystallization of the host Igneous rock, igneous Primary Rock, primary rock and includes the essential mineral(s) used to classify the rock along with any accessory minerals. In ore deposi ...

found in a number of geologic environments: the oxidation zone of metal ore deposits, in

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

pegmatites A pegmatite is an igneous rock showing a very coarse texture, with large interlocking crystals usually greater in size than and sometimes greater than . Most pegmatites are composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica, having a similar silicic com ...

containing

minerals, in

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

s and glauconitic sediments, and in recent

alluvial Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...

deposits replacing organic material such as

peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...

lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...

bog iron Bog iron is a form of impure iron deposit that develops in bogs or swamps by the chemical or biochemical oxidation of iron carried in solution. In general, bog ores consist primarily of iron oxyhydroxides, commonly goethite (FeO(OH)). Iron-beari ...

ores and forest soils (all). Bones and teeth buried in

peat bogs A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and mus ...

are sometimes replaced by vivianite. Some authors say that it is particularly associated with

gossan Gossan (eiserner hut or eisenhut) is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein. In the ''classic'' gossan or iron cap all that remains is iron oxides and quartz, often ...

, but this is disputed by Petrov. Associated minerals include

metavivianite Metavivianite () is a hydrated iron phosphate mineral found in a number of geological environments. As a secondary mineral it is typically formed from oxidizing vivianite. Metavivianite is typically found as dark blue or dark green prismatic to f ...

ludlamite Ludlamite is a rare phosphate mineral with chemical formula . It was first described in 1877 for an occurrence in Wheal Jane mine in Cornwall, England and named for English mineralogist Henry Ludlam (1824–1880). Occurrence It occurs in granit ...

pyrite The mineral pyrite ( ), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Fe S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue ...

siderite Siderite is a mineral composed of iron(II) carbonate (FeCO3). Its name comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning "iron". A valuable iron ore, it consists of 48% iron and lacks sulfur and phosphorus. Zinc, magnesium, and manganese commonly ...

and

pyrrhotite Pyrrhotite (''Pyrrhus of Epirus, pyrrhos'' in Greek language, Greek meaning "flame-coloured"'')'' is an iron sulfide mineral with the formula Fe(1−x)S (x = 0 to 0.125). It is a nonstoichiometric compound, nonstoichiometric variant of FeS, th ...

. Hydrothermal veins produce the best crystal specimens with the classic gemmy green color. The type locality is Wheal Kind (Wheal Kine), West Wheal Kitty group, St Agnes, St Agnes District, Cornwall, England.

Photo-oxidation

Oxidation of vivianite is an internal process; no oxygen or water enters or leaves the mineral from the outside. A visible light

photon A photon () is an elementary particle that is a quantum of the electromagnetic field, including electromagnetic radiation such as light and radio waves, and the force carrier for the electromagnetic force. Photons are massless particles that can ...

knocks a proton out of a water molecule, leaving a

hydroxide ion Hydroxide is a polyatomic ion, diatomic anion with chemical formula OH−. It consists of an oxygen and hydrogen atom held together by a single covalent bond, and carries a negative electric charge. It is an important but usually Self-ionization ...

(OH⁻). In turn, a divalent iron Fe²⁺ loses an electron to become Fe³⁺, i.e., it is

oxidized Redox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is ...

and balances the charge. This process starts when visible light falls on the vivianite, and it can occur within a few minutes, drastically changing the color of the mineral. Eventually, the vivianite changes to a new species, metavivianite Fe²⁺₂Fe³⁺(PO₄)₂(OH)·7H₂O, which usually occurs as paramorphs after vivianite.

Pigment

Vivianite was known as a pigment since Roman times, but its use in oil painting was rather limited. It has been found in Vermeer's '' The Procuress'' in the blue-grey parts of the carpet in the foreground. Jan Vermeer van Delft 002

Localities

* Brazil. Cigana Mine, Galileia, Minas Gerais, with muscovite and pyrite.The Mineralogical Record (2004) 35-2:156 Typically wedge-shaped crystals of vivianite to 11 cm across, of medium lustre, smoke-blue color and good transparency on matrix of sharp silvery

muscovite Muscovite (also known as common mica, isinglass, or potash mica) is a hydrated phyllosilicate mineral of aluminium and potassium with formula KAl2(Al Si3 O10)( F,O H)2, or ( KF)2( Al2O3)3( SiO2)6( H2O). It has a highly perfect basal cleavage y ...

plates, some with druses of

microcrystals.The Mineralogical Record (2004) 35-3:252 * Bolivia: Llallagua, Potosi: Crystals to 10 cm at the Siglio XX mine. Transparent bottle-green crystals to 10 cm from the San Jose/San Firmin vein. In general, the vivianite occurs as

crystals on a matrix of

botryoidal A botryoidal ( ) texture or mineral habit, is one in which the mineral has an external form composed of many rounded segments, named for the Ancient Greek (), meaning "a bunch of grapes".Adjective form: ''botruoeidēs'' This is a common form f ...

goethite Goethite (, ) is a mineral of the diaspore group, consisting of iron(III) oxide-hydroxide, specifically the α- polymorph. It is found in soil and other low-temperature environments such as sediment. Goethite has been well known since ancient t ...

derived from the alteration of

and

marcasite The mineral marcasite, sometimes called "white iron pyrite", is iron sulfide (FeS2) with orthorhombic crystal structure. It is physically and crystallographically distinct from pyrite, which is iron sulfide with cubic crystal structure. Both ...

. Specimens found in 2000 were associated with

childrenite Childrenite is a rare hydrated phosphate mineral with elements iron, manganese, aluminium, phosphorus, oxygen and hydrogen. Its chemical formula is and it has a molecular weight of 229.83 g/mol. Its specific gravity is 3.2 and it has a Mohs hard ...

, cronstedtite,

, franckeite and pink massive

sphalerite Sphalerite is a sulfide mineral with the chemical formula . It is the most important ore of zinc. Sphalerite is found in a variety of deposit types, but it is primarily in Sedimentary exhalative deposits, sedimentary exhalative, Carbonate-hoste ...

.The Mineralogical Record (2006) 37-2:156 * Cameroon: The world's largest vivianite crystals (more than a meter long) from mud. * Canada: In

at Côte St Charles, Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Montérégie, Québec. * Germany: In the

limonite Limonite () is an iron ore consisting of a mixture of hydrated iron(III) oxide-hydroxides in varying composition. The generic formula is frequently written as , although this is not entirely accurate as the ratio of oxide to hydroxide can vary qu ...

ores in

Amberg Amberg () is a Town#Germany, town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate about halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. History The town was first mentioned in 1034 with the name Ammenberg. It became an important trading c ...

- Auerbach and in the

of Hagendorf, Bavaria. * Japan: At Nagasawa, Iwama-machi,

Ibaraki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...

, vivianite was found along fractures in rocks rich in

graphite Graphite () is a Crystallinity, crystalline allotrope (form) of the element carbon. It consists of many stacked Layered materials, layers of graphene, typically in excess of hundreds of layers. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable ...

and

. The vivianite is intimately associated with pyrite and occurs as very thin tabular crystals, up to 10 cm in length. * Kosovo.

Trepča Mines Trepca ( / ''Trepča'', ) may refer to: * Trepça Mines, an industrial complex in Mitrovica, Kosovo * KB Trepça, a basketball club in Mitrovica founded in 1947 * KF Trepça, a football club in Mitrovica founded in 1932 * KH Trepça, a handball ...

, Stari Trg. Thick prismatic crystals up to 10 cm long and 2 cm thick, relatively stable. Deep green in color and transparent, commonly resting on

, and in some cases on

quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...

carbonates A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, (), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word "carbonate" may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate group . ...

.The Mineralogical Record (2007) 38-4:290 * Mexico: In blue-green gem quality crystals to 8 cm at the San Antonio Mine,

Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua Santa Eulalia is a town and seat of the municipality of Aquiles Serdán, in the northern Mexican state A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitut ...

. * Russia: In

sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are types of rock formed by the cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or deposited at Earth's surface. Sedime ...

stratified iron ore deposits on the Taman peninsula on the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

. *Slovenia: In

Idrija Idrija (, in older sources ''Zgornja Idrija''; , ) is a town in western Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Idrija. Located in the traditional region of the Slovene Littoral and in the Gorizia Statistical Region, it is notable for it ...

mine, 2 mm bluish vivianite crystals in fissures of Langobardian sandstone were found. * Spain: At the Brunita mine, Cartagena, Murcia, vivianite was found as deep green crystals, up to 8 cm * Ukraine: In the Kerch iron ore basin in the Crimean Peninsula, peatlands of Volyn' region and Zakarpattia region. * US: In

diatomite Diatomaceous earth ( ), also known as diatomite ( ), celite, or kieselguhr, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that can be crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It has a particle size ranging from more than 3 ...

in a

tertiary Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to: * Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago * Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...

lake bed near Burey,

Shasta County, California Shasta County (), officially the County of Shasta, is a County (United States), county located in the Northern California, northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 182,155 as of the 2020 census, up from 177,223 from t ...

. * US: In green sand at Middletown, New Castle County, Delaware. * US: Blackbird Mine, Lemhi County, Idaho. Crystals in shades of pink, green, greyish blue, purple and purplish black, as well as colorless. The unique deep purple color of some Blackbird mine specimens is characteristic of the locality. Some single crystals have both purple and green zones. Vivianite crystals from the Blackbird Mine are usually elongated and blade-like. They occur as singles and groups on dark altered

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...

and on white

. Associated minerals include

and

.The Mineralogical Record (2010) 41-4:366 * US: Abundant in the

Newry, Maine Newry (; ) is a resort town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The town’s year-round population was 411 at the 2020 census. The town is best known as the home of Sunday River Ski Resort and has a proportionately large seasonal (winter ...

. * New Zealand: Small amounts of vivianite are present within the sediments of Lake Kohangapiripiri.Cochran, U., Goff, J., Hannah, M., and Hull, A. (1999) Relative stability on a tectonically active coast: paleoenvironment during the last 7000 years at Lake Kohangapiripiri, Wellington, New Zealand, ''Quaternary International'', 56, 53–63

References

External links

Vivianite as a pigment
at ColourLex {{Authority control Iron(II) minerals Phosphate minerals Monoclinic minerals Minerals in space group 10 Vivianite group Minerals described in 1817