Trolleite: Rare Phosphate Mineral
Trolleite, a phosphate mineral, was first identified in 1868 in an iron mine in Sweden.
It was described by Christian Wilhelm Blomstrand (1826–1897), a Swedish chemist and mineralogist. Blomstrand named the mineral after Hans Gabriel Trolle-Wachtmeister (1782–1871), a fellow Swedish chemist and attorney general.
Contrary to claims found on some websites, Trolle-Wachtmeister did not discover Trolleite himself.
Trolleite usually forms with a massive crystal habit, meaning crystals form in a tightly intergrown, shapeless mass. On the Mohs scale of hardness, it grades 5.5 to 6.
Its natural colours are typically light green, pale bluish-green, or colourless. The more vibrant blue specimens often have natural intergrowths with other phosphate minerals such as
scorzalite and lazulite.
These inclusions can produce a richer, more saturated blue that's often mistaken for pure trolleite, but is a composite of minerals within a quartz matrix.
Since its discovery in Sweden, Trolleite was later found in several other locations, including:
Brazil, Rwanda, Australia, and the United States.
Its colour and associated minerals can vary depending on where it's mined.
This rough Trolleite stone has an impressive light blue colour and a distinctive granular texture. It's the only piece we have available and was carefully chosen for our collection.
