General Smithsonite Information
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Chemical Formula: |
ZnCO3 |
Composition: |
Molecular Weight = 125.40 gm |
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Zinc 52.15 % Zn 64.90 % ZnO |
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Carbon 9.58 % C 35.10 % CO2 |
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Oxygen 38.28 % O |
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______ ______ |
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100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE |
Empirical Formula: |
Zn(CO3) |
Environment: |
Commonly found as an oxidation product of Zn-bearing ores. |
IMA Status: |
Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1832 |
Locality: |
Mendips at Derbyshire, UK. Link to MinDat.org Location Data. |
Name Origin: |
Named after James Smithson (1765-1829), English mineralogist who financed the founding of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, USA. |
Synonym: |
Calamine |
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Galmei |
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ICSD 100679 |
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PDF 8-449 |
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Zinc spar |
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Smithsonite Image |
Images:
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Smithsonite Creedite
Comments: Purple transparent crystals of creedite to 6 mm on matrix of creamy botryoidal crystalline smithsonite.
Location: Level 8 San Antonio mine, Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Scale: 7 x 3.5 x 2 cm.
© Dan Weinrich |
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Images:
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Images:
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Smithsonite Murdochite
Comments: Dark metallic micro crystals of murdochite on pale blue-gray smithsonite crystal covered matrix.
Location: Silver Hill Mine group, Silver Hill, Waterman District, Waterman Mts, Pima Co., Arizona, USA.
Scale: 5x4x2 cm.
© John Betts - Fine Minerals |
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Images:
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Smithsonite
Comments: Yellow, cadmian-bearing smithsonite crystalline aggregate.
Location: Rush Mine in Marion County, Arkansas, USA.
Scale: 6.5 x 11 cm.
© Kevin Ward |
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Smithsonite Crystallography
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Axial Ratios: |
a:c = 1:3.22974 |
Cell Dimensions: |
a = 4.653, c = 15.028, Z = 6; V = 281.77 Den(Calc)= 4.43 |
Crystal System: |
Trigonal - Hexagonal ScalenohedralH-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: R 3c |
X Ray Diffraction: |
By Intensity(I/Io): 2.75(1), 3.55(0.5), 1.703(0.45), |
Forms:
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Forms:
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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
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Physical Properties of Smithsonite
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Cleavage: |
[1011] Perfect, [1011] Perfect, 1011 Perfect |
Color: |
Grayish white, Dark gray, Green, Blue, Yellow. |
Density: |
4.4 - 4.5, Average = 4.45 |
Diaphaniety: |
Subtransparent to translucent |
Fracture: |
Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals. |
Habit: |
Botryoidal - "Grape-like" rounded forms (e.g.. malachite). |
Habit: |
Earthy - Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite). |
Habit: |
Reniform - "Kidney like" in shape (e.g.. hematite). |
Hardness: |
4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite |
Luminescence: |
None. |
Luster: |
Vitreous (Glassy) |
Streak: |
white |
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Optical Properties of Smithsonite
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Dichroism (e): |
colorless. |
Dichroism (w): |
colorless. |
Gladstone-Dale: |
CI meas= 0.062 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC) CI calc= 0.057 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1665,KPDmeas= 0.1657,KC= 0.1766 |
Optical Data: |
Uniaxial (-), e=1.625, w=1.85, bire=0.2250. |
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Calculated Properties of Smithsonite
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Electron Density: |
relectron=4.24 gm/cc note: rSmithsonite =4.43 gm/cc. |
Fermion Index |
Fermion Index = 0.02261 Boson Index = 0.97739 |
Photoelectric: |
PESmithsonite = 26.17 barns/electron U=PESmithsonite x relectron= 110.94 barns/cc. |
Radioactivity: |
GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units) Smithsonite is Not Radioactive |
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Smithsonite Classification
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Dana Class: |
14.1.1.6 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates |
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(14.1)with Simple Formula A+ CO3 |
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(14.1.1)Calcite Group (Trigonal: R3¯c) |
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14.1.1.1 Calcite CaCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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14.1.1.2 Magnesite MgCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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14.1.1.3 Siderite FeCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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14.1.1.4 Rhodochrosite MnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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14.1.1.5 Sphaerocobaltite CoCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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14.1.1.6 Smithsonite ZnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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14.1.1.7 Otavite CdCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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14.1.1.8 Gaspeite (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
Strunz Class: |
V/B.02-60 V - Nitrates, Carbonates and Borates |
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V/B - Waterfree carbonates [CO3]2- without unfamiliar anions |
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V/B.02 - Calcite group |
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V/B.02-10 Vaterite CaCO3 P 63/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m |
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V/B.02-20 Calcite CaCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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V/B.02-30 Magnesite MgCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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V/B.02-40 Siderite FeCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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V/B.02-50 Rhodochrosite MnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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V/B.02-60 Smithsonite ZnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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V/B.02-70 Sphaerocobaltite CoCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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V/B.02-80 Gaspeite (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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V/B.02-90 Otavite CdCO3 R 3c 3 2/m |
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Other Smithsonite Information
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References: |
NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Mason68) |
See Also: |
Links to other databases for Smithsonite :
1 -Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Applied Mineralogy
4 -Athena
5 - Crocoite.com Mineral Locations
6 - EUROmin Project
7 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
8 - Franklin Minerals(Palache)
9 - Glendale Community College
10 -Google Images
11 -Google Scholar
12 -Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
13 - HyperPhysics
14 -MinDAT
15 -MinMax(Deutsch)
16 -MinMax(English)
17 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
18 -Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
19 - Minerals of Wisconsin
20 -QUT Mineral Atlas
21 -University of Colorado - Mineral Structure Data
22 - WWW-MINCRYST
23 - YupRocks
24 -theimage
25 -École des Mines de Paris
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Smithsonite
ZnCO3
Dana No: 14.1.1.6 Strunz No: V/B.02-60
Locality:
Notes:
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