For #MinCup24 (hosted by @MineralCup) today we see #Durangite competing against #Wavellite... I'm going with #TeamDurangite on that one, mainly because of the incredible reddish hues of the crystal. And the arsenic. And the pleochroism.
What do you think?
Vote here! https://www.mineralcup.org/2024/vote/r1m04
PS: looks like tomorrow's bracket will see a really special entry, the #Whewellite... Probably won't vote for that one...
Interesting match up - they're both classed as phosphates/arsenates/vanadates, one hydrous phosphate ( #wavellite), one anhydrous arsenate ( #durangite); both have fun crystal habit (when they accrue that far); both seem to be rare...
But wavellite has the more interesting chemical structure, and also I'm surprised it doesn't have arsenic OR something nastier, given the crystal structure mindat shows it likes... before it MAYBE goes all clusters of blobs. (I'd usually say botryoidal but mindat says the inside structure is still very sprays of crystal which is cooooooool but not very botryoid-formation.)
I think it's obvious how I'm voting, don't you? Lol. #MinCup24
via @MineralCup
#MinCup24 Round 1 Match 4:
It’s a battle of exotic beauties for translucent green #Wavellite vs fiery #Durangite! Both are striking, unusual, and rare.
