In the oxidation zone of a hydrothermal vein deposit hosted by andesitic rocks.
IMA Status:
Approved IMA 1996 (Dana # Added)
Locality:
The San Francisco mine, 2 km northeast of the Sierra Groda Railway Station, in the Sierra Gorda, northeast of Antofagasta, 2nd region, northern Chile. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.
Habit:
Platy - Sheet forms (e.g. micas).
Hardness:
2.5 - Finger Nail
Luster:
Vitreous - Pearly
Streak:
white
Optical Properties of Gordaite
Gladstone-Dale:
CI meas= 0.05 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC) CI calc= 0.054 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2081,KPDmeas= 0.2092,KC= 0.2201 Ncalc = 1.58
Optical Data:
Uniaxial (-), e=1.5382, w=1.5607, bire=0.0225.
Calculated Properties of Gordaite
Electron Density:
Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.60 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Gordaite =2.63 gm/cc.
Fermion Index:
Fermion Index = 0.01 Boson Index = 0.99
Photoelectric:
PEGordaite = 20.99 barns/electron U=PEGordaite x rElectron Density= 54.60 barns/cc.
Radioactivity:
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Gordaite is Not Radioactive