IMA mineral species
Vanarsite
NaCa₁₂(H₂O)₆₄(As³⁺V⁵⁺₈.₅V⁴⁺₃.₅As⁵⁺₆O₅₁)₂·14H₂O
Hydrous oxide mineral.
Properties
⛏ Mohs hardness2
💅🪙🍶🔪💎
Scratches with a fingernail.
| Chemical formula | NaCa₁₂(H₂O)₆₄(As³⁺V⁵⁺₈.₅V⁴⁺₃.₅As⁵⁺₆O₅₁)₂·14H₂O |
|---|---|
| Elements | Na, Ca, H, O, As, V |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Mohs hardness | 2 |
| Density | — |
| Streak | — |
| Color | — |
| IMA symbol | Vns |
| Nickel–Strunz class | 8.FD.10 |
“—” means no reliable value in Wikidata yet. Check Mindat for full data.
Care & Handling
- 🪶 Soft, Scratches Easily Mohs 2: softer than a steel knife, so it scratches easily. Store it apart from harder stones.
🌍 Where it's found
Type locality (where it was first described): Packrat mine, Gateway, United States
- Type locality
- Notable source / deposit
- Country of origin
Marker positions are approximate (region or locality level). Type localities from Wikidata; notable sources curated by Crystopedia.
Learn more
- Vanarsite on Mindat.org
- Wikipedia article
- Wikidata item Q19862033 (source of this page's data – you can correct it there)
IMA mineral species
2–3
Monoclinic
Blue
Soft, Scratches Easily