Siderite Mineral Data

General Siderite Information

Chemical Formula:

Fe++CO3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 115.86 gm

Iron 48.20 % Fe 62.01 % FeO

Carbon 10.37 % C 37.99 % CO₂

Oxygen 41.43 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Fe²⁺(CO₃)

Environment:

Primarily bedded, biosedimentary deposits, also in metamorphic and igneous rocks. Forms a series with rhocochrosite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

Common world wide. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek sideros, "iron."

Name Pronunciation:

Siderite

Synonym:

Chalybite

ICSD 100678

Iron spar

PDF 29-696

Spathose iron

Siderite Image

Images:

Siderite Arsenopyrite

Comments: White, metallic arsenopyrite and tan siderite crystals.
Location: Panasqueira (2000, 3rd level), in the region of Beira Baixa, Portugal. Scale: 11 x 7 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Siderite

Comments: Blocky siderite crystals on quartz.
Location: Panasqueira (2nd level), in the region of Beira Baixa, Portugal. Scale: 7 x 8 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Siderite

Comments: Bladed siderite crystal groups on crystallized quartz matrix.
Location: Peyrebrune, Tarn, France. Scale: 8.7 x 6.5 x 4.7 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Siderite Garronite

Comments: Translucent white micro crystals of garronite on brown siderite crystals.
Location: Mont Saint Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Siderite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:3.27542

Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.72, c = 15.46, Z = 6; V = 298.28 Den(Calc)= 3.87

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Hexagonal ScalenohedralH-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: R 3c

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.79(1), 1.734(0.8), 3.59(0.6),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 1 1 0) ( 1 1 1) ( 0 0 1)

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Crystal Structure:

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Graf D L , American Mineralogist , 46 (1961) p.1283-1316, Crystallographic tables for the rhombohedral carbonates

Physical Properties of Siderite

Cleavage:

{1011} Perfect, {1011} Perfect, {1011} Perfect

Color:

Yellowish brown, Brown, Gray, Yellowish gray, Greenish gray.

Density:

3.96

Diaphaneity:

Translucent to subtranslucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Botryoidal - "Grape-like" rounded forms (e.g.. malachite).

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Siderite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.081 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.06 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1849,KPDmeas= 0.1807,KC= 0.1967
Ncalc = 1.76 - 1.78

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.57-1.633, w=1.785-1.875, bire=0.2150-0.2420.

Calculated Properties of Siderite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.74 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Siderite =3.87 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.01
Boson Index = 0.99

Photoelectric:

PE_Siderite= 14.62 barns/electron
U=PE_Siderite x rElectron Density= 54.68 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Siderite Classification

Dana Class:

14.01.01.03 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates

(14.01)with Simple Formula A+ CO3

(14.01.01)Calcite Group (Trigonal: R-3c)

14.01.01.01 Calcite CaCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.02 Magnesite MgCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.03 Siderite FeCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.04 Rhodochrosite MnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.05 Sphaerocobaltite CoCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.06 Smithsonite ZnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.07 Otavite CdCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.08 Gaspeite (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO3 R 3c 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

05.AB.05 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.A - Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O

05.AB -Alkali-earth (and other M2+) carbonates

05.AB.05 Calcite CaCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Gaspeite (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Magnesite MgCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Rhodochrosite MnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Otavite CdCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Sphaerocobaltite CoCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Siderite FeCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Smithsonite ZnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

Other Siderite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Mason68)

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

Siderite

Fe++CO3
Dana No: 14.01.01.03 Strunz No: 05.AB.05
Locality:

Notes: