Lipscombite

Where it forms, where it's found

Type locality: Sapucaia mine
Sapucaia do Norte
Galiléia
Minas Gerais
Brazil
-18.9008°, -41.4844°

43recorded occurrences

Source · OpenStreetMap

Physical

Transparency: Transparent · Translucent · Opaque
Colour: Black · dark greenish · olive-green · pale greenish · yellowish brown
Density: 3.66 g/cm³

Crystallography

Crystal system: Tetragonal
Space group: #167
Cell parameters: a = 7.310 Å · c = 13.212 Å
Z: 4
Morphology: Small dipyramidal crystals which may form radiating aggregates; rarely blocky to stubby crystals. Also massive.
Comment: Cell for synthetic material (Vencato et al., 1989). Originally given cell: 5.37, 12.81 A; subsequently given cell: 7.40, 12.81

Crystal structure

Chemical composition

Constituent elements: Mass composition breakdown
Element Atoms At. mass g/mol Mass g/mol Mass share
26FeIron Iron 3 55.845 167.535
42.79%
8OOxygen Oxygen 10 15.999 159.990
40.87%
15PPhosphorus Phosphorus 2 30.974 61.948
15.82%
1HHydrogen Hydrogen 2 1.008 2.016
0.52%
Total 391.489 100.00%
Mass share = atoms × atomic mass ÷ molar mass × 100
From IMA formula

Mass composition breakdown
Element	Atoms	At. mass g/mol	Mass g/mol	Mass share
26FeIron	Iron	3	55.845	167.535	42.79%
8OOxygen	Oxygen	10	15.999	159.990	40.87%
15PPhosphorus	Phosphorus	2	30.974	61.948	15.82%
1HHydrogen	Hydrogen	2	1.008	2.016	0.52%
	Total	391.489	100.00%

Synonyms

Lipscombiet

In other languages

French: lipscombite
German: Lipscombit
Spanish: Lipscombita
Italian: lipscombite

Classification

Strunz

10th ed.

8.BB.90

8Phosphates, Arsenates, VanadatesClass
8.BPhosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H₂ODivision
8.BBWith only medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO₄ about 1:1Group
8.BB.90LipscombiteSpecies

Dana

8th ed.

41.10.02.01

41Anhydrous Phosphates, Etc.containing Hydroxyl or HalogenClass
41.10(AB)₃(XO₄)₂Z_qType
41.10.02Lipscombite GroupGroup
41.10.02.01LipscombiteSpecies

CIM

—

19.12.14

19PhosphatesClass
19.12Phosphates of MnGroup
19.12.14LipscombiteSpecies

Group, growth & confusion

2 minerals

Literature, links & citation

Citations

1951Katz, L., Lipscomb, W. N. (1951) The crystal structure of iron lazulite, a synthetic mineral related to lazulite. Acta Crystallographica, 4 (4) 345-348 doi:10.1107/s0365110x51001094DOI: 10.1107/s0365110x51001094
1953Gheith, Mohamed A. (1953) Lipscombite, a new synthetic "iron lazulite". American Mineralogist, 38 (7-8) 612-628
1962Lindberg, M. L. (1962) Manganoan lipscombite from the Sapucaia pegmatite mine, Minas Gerais, Brazil; first occurrence of lipscombite in nature. American Mineralogist, 47 (3-4) 353-359
1967White, John S.; Henderson, E. P.; Mason, B. (1967) Secondary minerals produced by weathering of the Wolf Creek meteorite. American Mineralogist, 52 (7-8). 1190-1197
1981Matvienko, E. N.; Yakubovich, O. V.; Simonov, M. A.; Belov, N. V. (1981): Crystal structure of synthetic lipscombite (Fe73+(Fe0.53+Fe0.52+)18[PO4]14(OH)24) with partial ordering of iron(III). Zhurnal Strukturnoy Khimii, 22, 121-125 (in Russian).

Cite this entry

@misc{mineral2026,
  author    = {Mineral Index editorial board},
  title     = {Lipscombite — Mineral Index},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://mineralindex.org/minerals/lipscombite-2412},
  note      = {Accessed 2026-05-11}
}