Gerstleyite Mineral Data

General Gerstleyite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na2(Sb,As)8S13•2(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,426.04 gm

Sodium 3.22 % Na

Antimony 59.76 % Sb

Arsenic 5.25 % As

Hydrogen 0.28 % H

Sulfur 29.23 % S

Oxygen 2.24 % O

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Na₂Sb₇AsS₁₃•2(H₂O)

Environment:

Sedimentary borate deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1956

Locality:

Baker Mine, Boron, Kern Co. California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for J. M. Gerstley (1907-), President, Pacific Coast Borax Company.

Name Pronunciation:

Gerstleyite + Pronunciation

Gerstleyite Image

Images:

Gerstleyite

Comments: Small prismatic crystals and massive cinnabar-red gerstleyite on matrix.
Location: Baker mine, U.S. Borax Mine, Boron, Kramer District, Kern Co., California, USA. Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Gerstleyite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.4299:1:0.3078

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.911, b = 23.05, c = 7.097, Z = 2; beta = 127.85° V = 1,280.21 Den(Calc)= 3.70

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - DomaticH-M Symbol (m) Space Group: Cm

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 11.85(1), 3.05(0.9), 5.64(0.7),

Crystal Structure:

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Nakai I , Appleman D E , Chemistry Letters , 1981 (1981) p.1327-1330, The crystal structure of gerstleyite Na2(Sb,As)8S13*2H2O:, the first sulfosalt mineral of sodium, Locality: Baker mine, Kern County, Boron, California, USA

Physical Properties of Gerstleyite

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect, {100} Perfect, {001} Indistinct

Color:

Vermilion, Black.

Density:

3.62

Habit:

Fibrous - Crystals made up of fibers.

Habit:

Platy - Sheet forms (e.g. micas).

Habit:

Spherical - Spherical, rounded aggregates.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luster:

Adamantine

Streak:

vermilion

Optical Properties of Gerstleyite

Optical Data:

Biaxial (?), b=2.1

Pleochroism (x):

salmon red.

Pleochroism (y):

deep blood red.

Pleochroism (z):

deep blood red.

Calculated Properties of Gerstleyite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.32 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Gerstleyite =3.70 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0022035847
Boson Index = 0.9977964153

Photoelectric:

PE_Gerstleyite= 201.33 barns/electron
U=PE_Gerstleyite x rElectron Density= 668.64 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Gerstleyite Classification

Dana Class:

03.08.08.01 (03)Sulfides - Sulfosalts

(03.08)where 1 < z/y <2 - (A+)i (A++)j [By Cz], A=metals, B=semi-metals, C=non-metals

(03.08.08)Dana Group

03.08.08.01 Gerstleyite Na2(Sb,As)8S13•2(H2O) Cm m

Strunz Class:

02.HE.05 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.H - Sulfosalts of SnS Archetype

02.HE -With alkalies, H2O

02.HE.05 Gerstleyite Na2(Sb,As)8S13•2(H2O) Cm m

Other Gerstleyite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Gerstleyite :
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

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

Gerstleyite

Na2(Sb,As)8S13•2(H2O)
Dana No: 03.08.08.01 Strunz No: 02.HE.05
Locality:

Notes: