*** Welcome to piglix ***

Zunyite

Zunyite
Zunyite-199876.jpg
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
Category Sorosilicates
Formula
(repeating unit)
Al13Si5O20(OH,F)18Cl
Strunz classification 9.BJ.55
Crystal system Isometric
Crystal class Hextetrahedral (43m)
H-M symbol: (43m)
Space group F43m
Unit cell a = 13.8654 - 13.8882 Å; Z = 4
Identification
Color Grayish white, flesh-red; colorless in thin section
Crystal habit Crystalline - occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals
Twinning On {111}, contact and penetration
Cleavage Good on {111}
Fracture Uneven
Tenacity Brittle
Mohs scale hardness 7
Luster Vitreous
Streak White
Diaphaneity Transparent to translucent with inclusions
Specific gravity 2.874(5) (meas.) 2.87 - 2.90 (calc.)
Optical properties Isotropic
Refractive index n = 1.592 - 1.600
Other characteristics May fluoresce red under UV
References

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

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.



...
Wikipedia

...