Mineralogy Database

Herbertsmithite Mineral Data

Search Webmineral :
  

General Herbertsmithite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 430.25 gm
   Zinc      14.59 %  Zn   18.16 % ZnO
   Copper    44.75 %  Cu   56.02 % CuO
   Hydrogen   1.39 %  H    12.46 % H2O
   Chlorine  17.14 %  Cl   17.14 % Cl
               -   %   Cl   -3.87 % -O=Cl2   
   Oxygen    22.13 %  O
            ______        ______ 
            100.00 %       99.91 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Cu3.03Zn0.96(OH)5.95Cl2.08
Help on Environment: Environment: On a white quartzite, (2) In limonite gossan with wulfenite crystalsrosasite. (3) On joint surfaces of metamorphosed dolomitic limestone. Related to paratacamite.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Approved IMA 2003 (Dana # Added)
Help on Locality: Locality: Mina Los Tres Presidentes, Sierra Gorda, Chile (type locality). Also from (2) the Kali Kafi mine, Anarak, Iran and from (3) the Chah Khouni mine, Anarak, Iran Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named for G.F. Herbert Smith (1872-1953), of the British Museum (Natural History), who discovered paratacamite.
Help on Synonym: Synonym: IMA2003-041
 

Herbertsmithite Image

Click Here for Larger   Image in a New Browser Window Images:
Click Here for Larger   Image

  Herbertsmithite

Comments: Black and white image of dark green herbertsmithite crystals on pale buff matrix. (Mineralogical Magazine, 68:5310.
Location: Mina Los Tres Presidentes, Sierra Gorda, Chile.. Scale: See Image.
© Mineralogical Magazine

Herbertsmithite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:c = 1:2.05955
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 6.834, c = 14.075, Z = 3; V = 569.28 Den(Calc)= 3.76
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral H-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: R 3m
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 2.764(1)(113), 5.466(0.55)(101), 2.266(0.36)(204),1.709(0.18)(220), 4.702(0.14)(003), 1.82(0.13)(303), 2.73(0.13)(202), 2.899(0.11),
 

Physical Properties of Herbertsmithite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {101} Good
Help on Color: Color: Dark green, Blue green.
Help on Density: Density: 3.75 - 3.95, Average = 3.85
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Aggregates - Made of numerous individual crystals or clusters.
Help on Habit: Habit: Rhombohedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing rhobohedral crystals.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 3-3.5 - Calcite-Copper Penny
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous - Adamantine
Help on Streak: Streak: green
 

Optical Properties of Herbertsmithite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.033 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.009 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2184,KPDmeas= 0.2132,KC= 0.2204
Ncalc = 1.83 - 1.87
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Uniaxial (-), e=1.817, w=1.825, bire=0.0080.
 

Calculated Properties of Herbertsmithite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.59 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Herbertsmithite =3.76 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.0060902254
Boson Index = 0.9939097746
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEHerbertsmithite = 28.19 barns/electron
U=PEHerbertsmithite x rElectron Density= 101.29 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Herbertsmithite is Not Radioactive
 

Herbertsmithite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 10.01.02.03 (10)Oxyhalides and Hydroxyhalides
  (10.01)where (A)2 (O,OH)3 Xq
  (10.01.02)Paratacamite Group
 
10.01.02.01 Paratacamite (Cu,Zn)2(OH)3Cl R 3 3
 
10.01.02.02 Clinoatacamite! Cu2(OH)3Cl P 21/n 2/m
 
10.01.02.03 Herbertsmithite! Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 R 3m 3 2/m
 
10.01.02.04 Kapellasite! Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 P 3m1 3 2/m
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 03.DA.10c 03 - HALIDES
  03.D - Oxyhalides, Hydroxyhalides and Related Double Halides
  03.DA -With Cu, etc., without Pb
 
03.DA.10c Paratacamite (Cu,Zn)2(OH)3Cl R 3 3
 
03.DA.10c Gillardite! Cu3NiCl2(OH)6 R 3m 3
 
03.DA.10c Herbertsmithite! Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 R 3m 3 2/m
 
03.DA.10c Kapellasite! Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2 P 3m1 3 2/m
 
03.DA.10c Haydeeite! Cu3Mg(OH)6Cl2 R 3m 3
 

Other Herbertsmithite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( CanMin, 42:1909) PHYS. PROP.(CanMin, 42:1909) OPTIC PROP.(CanMin, 42:1909)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Herbertsmithite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - GeoScienceWorld
4 - Google Images
5 - Google Scholar
6 - MinDAT
7 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
8 - Online Mineral Museum
9 - QUT Mineral Atlas
10 - Ruff.Info

Search for Herbertsmithite using:

Google
 
Web webmineral.com
[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Herbertsmithite :

Ask about Herbertsmithite 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 Espaņol

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

Herbertsmithite

Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2
Dana No: 10.01.02.03 Strunz No: 03.DA.10c
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.