Pascoite, Rossite & Metarossite

Description

Pascoite has has a hardness of 2½ and a specific gravity of 2.455. According to Wikipedia, Pascoite is a mineral that is red-orange to yellow in color and was “discovered in the Pasco Province of Peru, for which it is named, and described in 1914.” Wikipedia also includes that Pascoite is “a secondary mineral occurring as a leachate of near-surface vanadium oxides by ground waters and as efflorescences in mine tunnels.” Pascoite has been found since 1914 in around 93 recorded localities worldwide, with six in Europe, one in China, one in Argentina, its TL in Peru, one in Nevada, and 83 localities in the Four Corners Region (SW CO, SE UT, NE AZ, and NW NM). WebMineral shows that Pascoite is comprised of 52% Oxygen, 37% Vanadium, 9% Calcium, and 2% Hydrogen, so this bright yellow rock would make for a great sample of Vanadium for element collectors!

Rossite has a hardness of 2 – 3 and a specific gravity of 2.45. Rossite is “a rare calcium vanadate hydrate that transforms reversibly to metarossite (dehydration within a few weeks time)” according to Mindat. Named 1927 by William F. Foshag and Frank L. Hess in honor of Dr. Clarence Samuel Ross, an American geologist and mineralogist with the USGS. Found in 35 recorded localities around the world.

Metarossite has a hardness of 1 – 2 and a calculated specific gravity of 2.8. It’s found in “Carnotite-bearing sandstone” in two localities within the Czech Republic, one in Russia, one in Northeast Wyoming, and 36 within Colorado, Utah, Arizona & New Mexico.

All three minerals would make for a great representation of Vanadium for element collectors, and this rock would make for a great addition to any Colorado or Mineral collectors as a rare representative of the Vanadium from the Uravan region.

While this might be a little more rare than most of the other minerals shown on this channel, and might not be as likely as others to be one you’ll encounter on your next hike, you never know! You may just stumble onto a new Uranium/Vanadium discovery if you’re walking on sedimentary deposits and see a yellow/orange/white rock just like this!