Herderite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Herderite
Siegmund August Wolfgang von Herder
Formula:
CaBe(PO4)F
Colour:
Colourless, pale yellow, greenish-white; colourless in transmitted light.
Lustre:
Vitreous, Sub-Vitreous
Hardness:
5 - 5½
Specific Gravity:
3.02
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Member of:
Name:
Named by Wilhelm Haidinger in 1828 in honor of Siegmund August Wolfgang von Herder (August 18, 1776 Germany - January 29, 1838 Dresden, Germany), Mining official in Freiberg, Germany.
Herderite-Hydroxylherderite Series. The fluorine-dominant analogue of Hydroxylherderite. Herderite is isotypic with Datolite.
Found usually as a pegmatite mineral formed during late-stage hydrothermal deposition.
Warning: Most specimens labeled "herderite" are in fact hydroxylherderite. True herderite probably does NOT occur at most of the localities listed here. Confirmed F-dominant specimens are presently known only from Brazil (two locations), Mogok, Yichun, and Namibia.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Herderite.
Found usually as a pegmatite mineral formed during late-stage hydrothermal deposition.
Warning: Most specimens labeled "herderite" are in fact hydroxylherderite. True herderite probably does NOT occur at most of the localities listed here. Confirmed F-dominant specimens are presently known only from Brazil (two locations), Mogok, Yichun, and Namibia.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Herderite.Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
1876
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:1876:6
Similar Names
| Herrerite | A variety of Smithsonite | (Zn,Cu)CO3 |
IMA Classification of Herderite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
CaBePO4F
Classification of Herderite
8.BA.10
8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H2O
A : With small and medium-sized cations
8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H2O
A : With small and medium-sized cations
41.5.4.1
41 : ANHYDROUS PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
5 : (AB)2(XO4)Zq
41 : ANHYDROUS PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
5 : (AB)2(XO4)Zq
22.1.10
22 : Phosphates, Arsenates or Vanadates with other Anions
1 : Phosphates, arsenates or vanadates with fluoride
22 : Phosphates, Arsenates or Vanadates with other Anions
1 : Phosphates, arsenates or vanadates with fluoride
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Hrd | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
| Hrd | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download |
Physical Properties of Herderite
Vitreous, Sub-Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Colourless, pale yellow, greenish-white; colourless in transmitted light.
Hardness:
5 - 5½ on Mohs scale
Cleavage:
Imperfect/Fair
On {110}, interrupted.
On {110}, interrupted.
Fracture:
Sub-Conchoidal
Density:
3.02 g/cm3 (Measured)
Optical Data of Herderite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.556 - 1.592 nβ = 1.578 - 1.61 nγ = 1.589 - 1.62
2V:
Calculated: 70°
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.028 - 0.033
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
Surface Relief:
Moderate (positive)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
This shows the grain boundary and Becke line effect under plane-polarised
light, based on the contrast between this mineral's average refractive
index and the mounting medium. It does not take into account mineral
colouration.
In focus
Interference Figure:
This shows the idealized biaxial acute bisectrix (Bxa) interference figure
- the conoscopic view for a grain cut perpendicular to the acute bisectrix, using
this mineral's 2V. The two small white dots mark the melatopes - the points
where the two optic axes emerge - and are shown only when they fall within the
field of view. The coloured bands are isochromatics, and the dark bands are
isogyres.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Dispersion:
r > v moderate
Chemistry of Herderite
Mindat Formula:
CaBe(PO4)F
Element Weights:
Common Impurities:
H,OH
Crystallography of Herderite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Cell Parameters:
a = 4.81 Å, b = 7.7 Å, c = 9.82 Å
β = 90.1°
β = 90.1°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.625 : 1 : 1.275
Unit Cell V:
363.70 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:
Stout prismatic crystals [100] or [001]; thick tabular {001}. Commonly pseudo-orthorhombic in aspect, rarely monoclinic; pseudo-hexagonal [001] at times. Also occurs as botryoidal or spheroidal aggregates with a radial-fibrous structure.
Twinning:
On {100} or {001} as fishtail contact. Most crystals are twinned; however, some exhibit no outward signs of this morphology.
Comment:
Space Group: nd
Crystallographic forms of Herderite
Crystal Atlas:
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Herderite no.19 - {101} - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Herderite no.20 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by
www.smorf.nl.
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Crystal Structure
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0004660 | Herderite | Harlow G E, Hawthorne F C (2008) Herderite from Mogok, Myanmar, and comparison with hydroxyl-herderite from Ehrenfriedersdorf, Germany American Mineralogist 93 1545-1549 |  | 2008 | Sauberg mine, Morgenrother Zug, Ehrenfriedersdorf, Germany | 0 | 293 |
| 0004659 | Herderite | Harlow G E, Hawthorne F C (2008) Herderite from Mogok, Myanmar, and comparison with hydroxyl-herderite from Ehrenfriedersdorf, Germany American Mineralogist 93 1545-1549 | | 2008 | Mogok Stone Tract, Myanmar | 0 | 293 |
| 0015537 | Herderite | Pavlov P V, Belov N V (1959) The structures of herderite, datolite and gadolinite determined by direct methods Soviet Physics Crystallography 4 300-314 | 1959 | not given, but the crystal was natural | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Loading XRD data...
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 34 : Complex granite pegmatites |
Geological Setting:
Complex granitic pegmatites
Type Occurrence of Herderite
Synonyms of Herderite
Other Language Names for Herderite
Relationship of Herderite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of Herderite Subgroup:
| Bergslagite | CaBeAsO4(OH) | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
| Hydroxylherderite | CaBe(PO4)(OH) | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
Forms a series with:
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 7 photos of Herderite associated with Tourmaline | AD3G6(T6O18)(BO3)3X3Z |
| 6 photos of Herderite associated with Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| 6 photos of Herderite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 3 photos of Herderite associated with Elbaite | Na(Li1.5Al1.5)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| 3 photos of Herderite associated with Beryl | Be3Al2(Si6O18) |
| 2 photos of Herderite associated with 'Smoky Quartz' | SiO2 |
| 2 photos of Herderite associated with Fluorite | CaF2 |
| 2 photos of Herderite associated with Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| 2 photos of Herderite associated with Foitite | ◻(Fe2+2Al)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| 2 photos of Herderite associated with Topaz | Al2(SiO4)(F,OH)2 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 8.BA. | Vladkuzminite | K4CuZn3(AsO4)4 |
| 8.BA. | Axelite | Na14Cu7(AsO4)8F2Cl2 |
| 8.BA. | Elramlyite-(Ce) | (◻0.67Ce0.33)Th2(PO4)2F3 |
| 8.BA. | Tomcampbellite | [KCl][Fe2+14(OH)6(PO4)6(PO3OH)2] |
| 8.BA.05 | Väyrynenite | BeMn2+(PO4)(OH) |
| 8.BA.10 | Bergslagite | CaBeAsO4(OH) |
| 8.BA.10 | Hydroxylherderite | CaBe(PO4)(OH) |
| 8.BA.15 | Babefphite | BaBePO4(F,OH) |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Herderite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-1876.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
References for Herderite
Reference List:
Penfield, S. L. (1894) Ueber die Krystallform des Herderit. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 23 (1-6). 118-130 doi:10.1524/zkri.1894.23.1.118
Ford, W. E. (1912) Über einige Herderitkrystalle von Auburn, Maine. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, 50 (1-6). 97-100 doi:10.1524/zkri.1912.50.1.97
Yatesvitch, G. M. (1935) The crystallography of herderite from Topsham, Maine. American Mineralogist, 20 (6) 426-437
Strunz, Hugo (1936) Datolith und Herderit. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, 93 (1-6). 146-150 doi:10.1524/zkri.1936.93.1.146
Mrose, Mary E. (1952) Hurlbutite, CaBe2(PO4)2, a new mineral. American Mineralogist, 37 (11-12) 931-940 p.938 - (XRD)
Dunn, Pete J., Wight, Willow (1976) Green Gem Herderite from Brazil. The Journal of Gemmology, 15 (1) 27-28 doi:10.15506/jog.1976.15.1.27
Leavens, Peter B., Dunn, Pete J., Gaines, Richard V. (1978) Compositional and refractive index variations of the herderite-hydroxyl-herderite series. American Mineralogist, 63 (9-10) 913-917
Jahn, Steffen (1998) Herderit von Ehrensfriedersdorf - ein sächsischer Zankapfel [Herderite from Ehrensfriedersdorf - a Saxon bone of contention]. Mineralien-Welt, 9 (3). p.24-28.on the discovery of herderite
Localities for Herderite
Showing 64 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Argentina | |
| minsocam.org (2003) |
Austria | |
| Gerhard Brandstetter collection (analysed, but method of analysis not given) +3 other references |
Brazil | |
| |
| Frank and Wendy Melanson (Hawthorneden) | |
| Leavens et al. (1978) |
| Luiz Alberto Dias Menezes Filho et al. (2016) |
| Luis Menezes |
| |
China | |
| Yueqing Yang et al. (1998) |
| Xiaolong Huang et al. (2002) +1 other reference |
Czech Republic | |
| Welser |
| [Lapis 1994:6 p49-50] +1 other reference |
Finland | |
| Sandström et al. (2009) |
France | |
| Kahou et al. (2026) |
Germany | |
| Palache et al. (1951) +1 other reference |
| Leavens et al. (1978) |
| Lapis (7/8) |
| Rewitzer et al. (1985) | |
| Wittern (2001) |
| Wittern (2001) |
| Palache et al. (1951) +2 other references |
Italy | |
| Pezzotta et al. (1999) +1 other reference |
| Pezzotta et al. (1999) |
Mozambique | |
| Gomes et al. (2022) |
| Correira Neves et al. (1965) |
Myanmar | |
| Harlow et al. (2008) |
| Kyaw Khaing Win (2008) +1 other reference |
| Harlow et al. (2008) |
| Praszkier et al. (2012) +1 other reference |
Namibia | |
| von Bezing (2007) |
| M Kampf collection |
Pakistan | |
| Blauwet et al. (2004) +2 other references |
| ExtraLapis No. 24 Pakistan & Afghanistan |
| King (n.d.) |
| Polityka (2004) +1 other reference |
| TVM Specimen | |
| imported from Shigar District +2 other references |
Russia | |
| N.A. Grigoriev et al. (2) |
| Pavel M. Kartashov (n.d.) |
| Kingsbury (1958) |
Spain | |
| Roda (2005) |
| Fuertes-Fuente et al. (2001) |
Sweden | |
| Gustafsson (1989) +1 other reference |
| Gustafsson (1991) |
UK | |
| Kingsbury (1958) +1 other reference |
| Kingsbury (1958) |
| Kingsbury (1958) |
| Knorring et al. (1984) |
USA | |
| Leavens et al. (1978) |
| Fisher (2002) |
| Fisher (2002) | |
| Foord (1977) +1 other reference |
| Kampf et al. (2003) |
| Schooner (1958) +1 other reference |
| Leavens et al. (1978) |
| Informal wording about a mistaken dealer label in Mineral News (1998) |
| Leavens et al. (1978) |
| Leavens et al. (1978) |
| Smithsonian Institution Mineral ... |
| Smithsonian Institution Mineral ... |
| a classic locality revisited. The Canadian Mineralogist (2) +1 other reference |
Vietnam | |
| Hien-Dinh et al. (2017) |
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Davib Ost Farm 61, Karibib Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia