CHEMISTRY - LiAl(PO4)(F,OH)
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY - Triclinic
CRYSTAL GROWTH AND HABITS - Most commonly massive, but crude equant crystals are known - typically with complex form development.
COLOR AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES - White to yellowish, pinkish, greenish or bluish. It is transparent to translucent.
HARDNESS - 5.5 - 6
SPECIFIC GRAVITY - 3.00 - 3.13
LUSTER - Vitreous to greasy and slightly pearly on cleavage faces
STREAK - White
BREAKABILITY - Very good cleavage along {100}, good along {110} and {011} and poor along {001}. Amblygonite has an uneven to subconchoidal fracture and is brittle.
OCCURRENCE - Amblygonite is an uncommon accessory mineral in granitic pegmatites. It has also been found in high temperature tin veins.
ASSOCIATED MINERALS - Lacroixinite, Fluorapatite, Spodumene, Lepidolite, Tourmaline, Cassiterite, Mica
MINERAL NAME - From the Greek for blunt in reference to its nearly 90o cleavage angle.