A relatively rare yellowish to brownish iron aluminum phosphate mineral that commonly occurs as minute crystals in other rocks.
From Greek 'kakos' (bad) + 'xenos' (guest), with the mineralogical suffix '-ite'. This is the more common and properly named mineral related to cacoxene.
Cacoxenite is fascinating because specimens containing it can be so beautiful—the tiny yellow crystals create stunning visual effects—yet it was named something insulting, showing how mineral naming was subjective rather than based on beauty or usefulness!
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