Triplite Inclusions in Quartz from Yaogangxian, China

Quartz is host to a wide variety of inclusions. Recently, the authors examined a 30.80 ct transparent faceted quartz with several pinkish orange crystal inclusions, from the town of Yaogangxian in Hunan Province, China (figure 1). This quartz was cut from a rough stone collected by a local miner. In this quartz, the pinkish orange inclusions were unique and attractive.

After grinding, one of these inclusions was exposed to the surface (figure 2). Raman spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence were used to identify the inclusion as triplite.
Triplite, (Mn2+,Fe2+)2PO4(F,OH), is a rare phosphate mineral that can be found as either a gem material or an inclusion. Most triplites are produced in pegmatite, as with quartz. Triplite inclusions have been reported in topaz (Summer 2016 G&G Micro-World, p. 205) and beryl (Spring 2020 G&G Micro-World, p. 145). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first discovery of triplite as an inclusion in quartz.