Liebigite

Description

Liebigite has a hardness of 2½ – 3 and a specific gravity of 2.41 and was named in honor of Justus Freiherr von Liebig, a chemist who is considered one of the principal founders of analytical and organic chemistry. He made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry, and has been called the “father of the fertilizer industry”, according to Mindat.

It’s found in around 73 locations worldwide and 8 within Colorado, often as a secondary mineral formed by alteration of Uraninite in alkaline carbonate solutions.

According to WebMineral, this mineral is comprised of roughly 48% Oxygen, 33% Uranium, 11% Calcium, 5% Carbon, and 3% Hydrogen, and is a prized collectable for Uranium/Radioactive rock collectors, Colorado mineral collectors, and element collectors looking for an odd presentation of Uranium as its found naturally.

Speaking of odd presentation, you definitely wouldn’t look at this rock and this to immediately know it’s radioactive! So, now that you know in what additional forms Uranium can present naturally, be sure to check any rocks you see that may look like this for any radioactivity before bringing into your bedroom collection!