Magganasite

A valid IMA mineral species

This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.

Discuss Magganasite

Edit Magganasite Add Synonym Edit CIF structures Clear Cache

Formula:

CuFe³⁺₃O(AsO₄)₃

Colour:

golden- or red-brown to brownish-yellow, brown or reddish-brown

Lustre:

Vitreous, Sub-Metallic

Specific Gravity:

4.708 (Calculated)

Crystal System:

Triclinic

Name:

It is named in honour of the Greek mineralogist and petrologist Prof. Dr. Andreas Magganas (born 1954), Professor of Mineralogy, Petrology and Mineral Chemistry in National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, a specialist in volcanology and the mineralogy of volcanic fumaroles.

Type Locality:

ⓘ Arsenatnaya fumarole, Second scoria cone, Northern Breakthrough (North Breach), Great Fissure eruption (Main Fracture), Tolbachik Volcanic field, Milkovsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia

New structure type. Chemically most similar to auriacusite (that is also anhydrous).

Hide all sections | Show all sections

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

55974

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:55974:2

Similar NamesHide

Magnesite

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered

MgCO₃

IMA Classification of MagganasiteHide

IMA status:

Approved

IMA Formula:

Cu²⁺Fe³⁺₃O(As⁵⁺O₄)₃

Approval year:

2021

Type description reference:

Pekov, Igor V.; Zubkova, Natalia V.; Agakhanov, Atali A.; Koshlyakova, Natalia N.; Chukanov, Nikita V.; Yapaskurt, Vasiliy O.; Britvin, Sergey N.; Turchkova, Anna G.; Zhitova, Elena S.; Pushcharovsky, Dmitry Yu. (2026) New arsenate minerals from the Arsenatnaya fumarole, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. XXI. Magganasite, CuFe3+3O(AsO4)3. Mineralogical Magazine, 90 (2). p.472-480. doi:10.1180/mgm.2025.10141

Classification of MagganasiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):

8.BN.

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H₂O
N : With only large cations, (OH, etc.):RO₄ = 0.33:1

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference for Standard
Mgg	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of MagganasiteHide

Lustre:

Vitreous, Sub-Metallic

Transparency:

Translucent

Colour:

Golden- or red-brown to brownish-yellow, brown or reddish-brown

Streak:

Yellow

Tenacity:

Brittle

Cleavage:

None Observed

Parting:

none

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Density:

4.708 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Optical Data of MagganasiteHide

Anisotropism:

weak

Bireflectance:

Bireflectance is very weak

Reflectivity:

Wavelength	R₁ (%)	R₂ (%)
470nm	13.1%	13.1%
546nm	12.5%	11.9%
589nm	12.2%	11.9%
650nm	11.9%	11.8%

Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 13.1%.
R₁ shown in black, R₂ shown in red

Colour in reflected light:

gray

Internal Reflections:

none

Pleochroism:

Non-pleochroic

Chemistry of MagganasiteHide

Mindat Formula:

CuFe³⁺₃O(AsO₄)₃

Element Weights:

Element	% weight
As	33.858 %
O	31.332 %
Fe	25.237 %
Cu	9.573 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.

Elements listed:

As, Cu, Fe, O -