Apachite Mineral Data

General Apachite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu9Si10O29•11(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,514.92 gm

Copper 37.75 % Cu 47.26 % CuO

Silicon 18.54 % Si 39.66 % SiO₂

Hydrogen 1.46 % H 13.08 % H₂O

Oxygen 42.24 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Cu₉Si₁₀O₂₉•11(H₂O)

Environment:

Garnet diopside tactite zone.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1979

Locality:

Christmas Mine, Gila, Arizona, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for the Apache Indians, whose reservation is near the locality.

Name Pronunciation:

Apachite

Apachite Image

Images:

Apachite

Comments: Blue crusts of apachite on skarn rock.
Location: Christmas Mine, near Hayden, Gila County, Arizona, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Apachite

Comments: Spherical crystals 0.2mm of blue apachite as grape-like botryodal aggregates.
Location: Christmas mine, Gila Co., Arizona, USA. Scale: Picture size 3.5 mm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Apachite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =2.1288:1:3.156

Cell Dimensions:

a = 12.89, b = 6.055, c = 19.11, Z = 2; beta = 90.42° V = 1,491.48 Den(Calc)= 3.37

Crystal System:

Monoclinic Space Group: Unk

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 12.9(1), 3.168(0.7), 7.663(0.5),

Physical Properties of Apachite

Color:

Blue.

Density:

2.8

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Habit:

Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Streak:

light blue

Optical Properties of Apachite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.097 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.089 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1889,KPDmeas= 0.2274,KC= 0.2073
Ncalc = 1.58 - 1.7

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.61, b=1.65, g=1.65, bire=0.0400, 2V(Calc)=0, 2V(Meas)=~15.

Calculated Properties of Apachite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.31 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Apachite =3.37 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0088628086
Boson Index = 0.9911371914

Photoelectric:

PE_Apachite= 16.97 barns/electron
U=PE_Apachite x rElectron Density= 56.11 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Apachite is Not Radioactive

Apachite Classification

Dana Class:

78.04.01.01 (78)Unclassified silicates

(78.04)possible inosilicates

(78.04.01)Dana Group

78.04.01.01 Apachite Cu9Si10O29•11(H2O) Unk Mono

Strunz Class:

09.HE.10 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.H - Unclassified Silicates

09.HE -With Cu, Zn

09.HE.10 Apachite Cu9Si10O29•11(H2O) Unk Mono

Other Apachite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Apachite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info

Search for Apachite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Apachite :

Ask about Apachite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Apachite Specimen Label here :

Apachite

Cu9Si10O29•11(H2O)
Dana No: 78.04.01.01 Strunz No: 09.HE.10
Locality:

Notes:

Dakota Matrix
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Hudson Insitute
John Betts Fine Minerals
Mc Dougall Minerals
Mineral News
Rock and Mineral Shows
Weinrich Minerals, Inc.