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Wakefieldite

Rare-earth mineral series

Field	Value
name	Wakefieldite
category	Rare-earth mineral
image	Wakefieldite-(La) , Hausmannite - Grube Glücksstern, Gottlob, Thüringen.jpg
imagesize	260
caption	Wakefieldite-(La) on hausmannite
formula	()
IMAsymbol	Wf
strunz	8.AD.35
system	Tetragonal
class	Ditetragonal dipyramidal (4/mmm)
H-M symbol: (4/m 2/m 2/m)
symmetry	I41/amd
color	Canary-yellow, pale tan (Wakefieldite-(Y)); Dark red to coal-black, pale yellow to bluish gray (Wakefieldite-(Ce)); Light pink, brown (Wakefieldite-(La)
habit	Prismatic crystals, pulverulent masses
cleavage	Good on {100}
tenacity	Very brittle
mohs	4–5
diaphaneity	Translucent to opaque
gravity	4.25 (calculated Wakefieldite-(Y)); 4.74 (meas. Wakefieldite-(Ce)
opticalprop	Uniaxial (+)
refractive	nω = 2.000, nε = 2.140

H-M symbol: (4/m 2/m 2/m) | length fast/slow = Wakefieldite () is an uncommon rare-earth element vanadate mineral. There are four main types described of wakefieldite- wakefieldite-(La), wakefieldite-(Ce), wakefieldite-(Nd), and wakefieldite-(Y), depending upon the dominant rare-earth metal ion present. Wakefieldite has a Mohs hardness ranging from 4 to 5. Wakefieldite forms crystals of tetragonal structure. In terms of crystal structure, it is the vanadate analog of the rare-earth phosphate mineral xenotime. Unlike xenotime, it is more favorable for wakefieldite to contain the lighter rare-earth elements over the heavier ones. Due to the lanthanide contraction, the heavier rare earths have smaller ionic radii than the lighter ones. When the phosphate anion is replaced by the larger vanadate anion, the tetragonal crystal system preferentially accommodates the larger light rare-earth elements.

Wakefieldite was first described for an occurrence in the Evans Lou mine, St. Pierre de Wakefield, Quebec, Canada and later designated Wakefieldite-(Y).

References

Warr, L.N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine.
The Mineral and Locality Database, [http://www.mindat.org/min-35901.html ''Wakefieldite-(La)''].
Miyawaki R., and I. Nakai. (1996). "Crystal Chemical Aspects of Rare Earth Minerals". Ed. Andrian P. Jones, Frances Wall, and C. Terry Williams. ''Rare Earth Minerals: Chemistry, Origin and Ore Deposits''. London: Chapman & Hall. (p. 29–30).
Miles, Norman M., et al., [http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/AM56/AM56_395.pdf ''Wakefieldite, Yttrium Vanadate, a New Mineral From Quebec''], American Mineralogist, Vol. 56, Mar.–Apr. 1971.
[http://www.mindat.org/min-4234.html Mindat, Wakefieldite-(Y)].

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lanthanide-minerals vanadate-minerals tetragonal-minerals minerals-in-space-group-141

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