Natural Purpurite — Raw

Purpurite is a phosphate mineral from the manganese phosphate family, with the chemical formula MnPO₄. It forms in granitic pegmatites as a product of hydrothermal alteration or oxidation of manganese and phosphorus minerals, often associated with lithophyllite and triphyllite, from which it is derived by progressive oxidation of manganese. The characteristic color — which varies between intense purple, reddish-pink and purple — results from the presence of manganese in an oxidized state (Mn³⁺) in its crystalline structure. The intensity of the color is directly related to the degree of oxidation and purity of the mineral. Hardness: 4 to 4.5 on the Mohs scale. Density: 3.2 to 3.4 g/cm³. Crystalline system: orthorhombic. Available variations, approximate data: 1 to 3 cm — up to 0.025 kg — 40 pieces per kg 3 to 6 cm — 0.030 to 0.150 kg — 11 pieces per kg 6 to 15 cm — 0.150 to 0.800 kg — 2 to 3 pieces per kg