Category Phosphate minerals Crystal system Monoclinic | Strunz classification 8.BF.10 Space group C2/m | |
Formula
(repeating unit) (Ca,Ba)Ca8Fe2Mn2Al2[(OH)2(PO4)10] Crystal class Prismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol) | ||
Samuelsonite is a complex mineral that is found near North Groton, Grafton County, New Hampshire, US. Additionally, it is most commonly found as a secondary mineral in granite pegmatite. Samuelsonite is named after Peter B. Samuelson, a prospector from Rumney, New Hampshire.
The mineral has a pale yellow color and has a hardness of 5 on Mohs scale. The crystal is generally yellow, flat, and with straited crystals and blue trolleites. Samuelsonite is monolinic. There are three vectors of unequal length in this crystal system. The three vectors form a rectangular prism with a parallelogram at the base. Therefore, two of the vectors are perpendicular, while the third makes an angle that is not equal to 90°. Samuelsonite has biaxial birefringence (trirefringence), meaning when light passes through the optic axis it is split into two rays due to the difference in refractive index of the ray with parallel polarized light compared to the ray with perpendicular polarized light.