Misplaced Pages

Zunyite

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Zunyite
Sharp, pyramids of brown-red zunyite from Silver City, Tintic District, East Tintic Mountains, Juab County, Utah, US (size: 5.5 x 5 x 3.5 cm)
General
CategorySorosilicates
Formula
(repeating unit)		Al13Si5O20(OH,F)18Cl
IMA symbolZnu
Strunz classification9.BJ.55
Crystal systemIsometric
Crystal classHextetrahedral (43m)
H-M symbol: (43m)
Space groupF43m
Unit cella = 13.8654 - 13.8882 Å; Z = 4
Identification
ColorGrayish white, flesh-red; colorless in thin section
Crystal habitCrystalline - occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals
TwinningOn {111}, contact and penetration
CleavageGood on {111}
FractureUneven
TenacityBrittle
Mohs scale hardness7
LusterVitreous
StreakWhite
DiaphaneityTransparent to translucent with inclusions
Specific gravity2.874(5) (meas.) 2.87 - 2.90 (calc.)
Optical propertiesIsotropic
Refractive indexn = 1.592 - 1.600
Other characteristicsMay fluoresce red under UV
References

Zunyite is a sorosilicate mineral, Al13Si5O20(OH,F)18Cl, composed of aluminium, silicon, hydrogen, chlorine, oxygen, and fluorine.

Occurrence

Glassy, translucent, gray-tan, pseudohexagonal zunyite crystals on a milky quartz matrix. From the Big Bertha Mine, Dome Rock Mountains, La Paz County, Arizona (size: 3.3 x 3.2 x 2.8 cm))

Zunyite occurs in highly aluminous shales and hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks. It occurs in association with pyrophyllite, kaolinite, alunite, diaspore, rutile, pyrite, hematite and quartz.

It was discovered in 1884, and named for its discovery site, the Zuni mine in the Silverton District, San Juan County, Colorado.

References

  1. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ Handbook of Mineralogy
  3. ^ Mindat.org
  4. Web Mineral


Stub icon

This article about a specific silicate mineral is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: