Variscite from Australia, flat stone

The mineral VARISCITE is a hydrated aluminum phosphate having the chemical formula AlPO4 · 2 (H2O) The colorless, blue-green to green VARISCITE has a white color stripe, a dull sheen, and a perfect crystal cleavage plane according to [010]. The average density is 2.5 and the hardness is from 4 to 5. The crystal system is orthorhombic and the mineral is not radioactive. The name of the mineral VARISCITE derives from Variscia, the historical name of the Vogtland, Germany, a name that recurs in the Variscan orogeny. VARISCITE is common as a weathering product of aluminum-containing phosphate rock. The type of location is Mess Bach, Plauen, Vogtland (Variscia), Thuringia, Germany.