New Utah Minerals: Bobjonesite & Anorthominasragrite

Bobjonesite, V4+O(SO4)(H2O)3

Bobjonesite is a vanadium sulfate found at the North Mesa mine group in the Temple Mountain mining district, Emery County. The mineral is found as crusts or crystals less than 1 mm in size. Bobjonesite is pale blue to blue-green with a pale blue streak. The mineral has a hardness of 1 and a density of 2.28 g/cm3. Bobjonesite was found in a fossilized log in the Shinarump Conglomerate Member of the Triassic Chinle Formation. The mineral is associated with ferricopiapite, kornelite, rozenite, szmolnokite, anorthominasragrite, and sulfur. Bobjonesite is named for Robert (Bob) Jones, a senior editor of Rocks and Gems magazine.

Anorthominasragrite, V4+O(SO4)(H2O)5

Anorthominasragrite is also a vanadium sulfate found at the North Mesa mine group in the Temple Mountain mining district, Emery County. The mineral is found as crusts or spherical granular aggregates approximately 1 mm across, and as individual crystals less than 0.1 mm. Anorthominasragrite is blue-green to pale blue with a white streak. The mineral has a hardness of 1 and a density of 2.12 g/cm3.

Anorthominasragrite was found in a fossilized log in the Shinarump Conglomerate. The mineral is associated with orthominasragrite, minasragrite, and bobjonesite. Anorthominasragrite is named for its relationship with the mineral minasragrite.

For more information:

Cooper, M.A., Hawthorne, F.C., Grice, J.D., and Haynes, P., 2003, Anorthominasragrite, V4+O(SO4)(H2O)5, a new mineral species from Temple Mountain, Emery County, Utah – description, crystal structure, and hydrogen bonding: The Canadian Mineralogist, v. 41, p. 467-471. Schindler, M., Hawthorne, F.C., Huminicki, D.M.C., Haynes, P., Grice, J.D., Evans, H.T. Jr., 2003, Bobjonesite, V4+O(SO4)(H2O)3, a new mineral species from Temple Mountain, Emery County, Utah: The Canadian Mineralogist, v. 41, p. 83-90.