Editing Variscite (section)

{{short description|Hydrated aluminium phosphate}}
{{Infobox mineral
| name        = Variscite
| category    = [[Phosphate minerals]]
| boxwidth    = 
| boxbgcolor  = #36c08f
| image       = Variscite-Pyrite-179447.jpg
| imagesize   = 260px
| caption     = 
| formula     = AlPO<sub>4</sub>·2H<sub>2</sub>O
| IMAsymbol   = Var<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Warr|first=L. N. |date=2021 |title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols |magazine=[[Mineralogical Magazine]] |volume=85 |issue=3 |pages=291–320 |publisher=[[Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland]] |doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W |s2cid=235729616 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
| molweight   = 
| strunz      = 8.CD.10
| color       = Pale to emerald-green (pale green in transmitted light), green, blue green, yellow green, pale shades of brown or yellow, rarely red and colourless to white
| habit       = Encrustations and reniform masses
| system      = [[Orthorhombic]]
| class       = Dipyramidal (mmm) <br/>[[H-M symbol]]: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
| symmetry    = ''Pbca''
| twinning    = 
| cleavage    = [010] perfect
| fracture    = Conchoidal to splintery
| mohs        = 4.5
| luster      = Vitreous to waxy
| refractive  = nα = 1.563 nβ = 1.588 nγ = 1.594
| opticalprop = Biaxial (−)
| birefringence = δ = 0.031
| pleochroism = 
| streak      = White
| gravity     = 2.57 to 2.61
| density     = 
| melt        = 
| fusibility  = 
| diagnostic  = 
| solubility  = 
| diaphaneity = Transparent to translucent
| other       = 
| references  =<ref name=HoM>{{cite web |url=https://rruff.info/doclib/hom/variscite.pdf |title=Variscite |website=Handbook of Mineralogy |publisher=RRUFF Project}}</ref><ref name=mindat>{{Mindat |id=4156 |name=Variscite}}</ref><ref name=webmin>{{WebMineral |url=https://webmineral.com/data/Variscite.shtml |title=Variscite Mineral Data}}</ref>
}}
'''Variscite''' is a hydrated [[aluminium phosphate]] mineral ({{chem2|AlPO4*2H2O}}). It is a relatively rare phosphate mineral. It is sometimes confused with [[turquoise]]; however, variscite is usually greener in color. The green color results from the presence of small amounts of trivalent [[chromium]] ({{chem|Cr|3+}}).<ref name="gemselect"/>