Wattersite Mineral Data

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General Wattersite Information

Chemical Formula:

Hg+4Hg++Cr++++++O6

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 549.17 gm

Chromium 9.47 % Cr 18.21 % CrO₃

Mercury 73.05 % Hg 37.98 % Hg₂O / 39.44 % HgO

Oxygen 17.48 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 95.63 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

HgHgCrO₆

Environment:

Oxidized zone of mercury deposits.

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1991

Locality:

Clear Creek mercury mine, new Idria district, San Benito County, California. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

The mineral is named for Mr. Lu Watters(1911-1989), a well known California mineral collector, jazz trumpeter, chef and environmentalist.

Name Pronunciation:

Wattersite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 81605

IMA1987-030

PDF 45-1381

Wattersite Image

Images:

Wattersite

Comments: Deep red-black resinous wattersite on quartz.
Location: Clear Creek Mine, San Benito County, California, USA. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Wattersite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.9673:1:0.567

Cell Dimensions:

a = 11.25, b = 11.63, c = 6.595, Z = 8; beta = 98.15° V = 854.16 Den(Calc)= 8.54

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: C 2/c

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.655(1), 8.06(0.8), 3.3(0.6),

Crystal Structure:

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Groat L A , Roberts A C , Le Page Y , The Canadian Mineralogist , 33 (1995) p.41-46, The crystal structure of wattersite, Hg4HgCrO6

Physical Properties of Wattersite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Bronze, Reddish brown, Black.

Density:

8.91

Diaphaneity:

Opaque to translucent

Fracture:

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

Habit:

Crystalline - Fine - Occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals.

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Hardness:

4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Sub Metallic

Streak:

dark brick red

Optical Properties of Wattersite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.114 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.162 (Poor) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1909,KPDmeas= 0.1829,KC= 0.1642
Ncalc = 2.4 - 2.46

Optical Data:

Biaxial (?), a=2.44-2.52, g=2.7-2.86, bire=0.2600-0.3400

Pleochroism (x):

strongly pleochroic.

Pleochroism (y):

strongly pleochroic.

Pleochroism (z):

strongly pleochroic.

RL Anisotrophism:

Strong, purple, dark blue, bottle green, bottle blue, turquoise-blue, dull greenish blue.

RL Bireflectance:

Moderate.

RL Color:

Greenish white to darker lilac gray, with bright deep red internal reflections.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Wattersite in Air**
λ	R₁	R₂	∑ R₁(λ)	∑ R₂(λ)
400 nm	19.60	16.00
420 nm	21.60	18.10
440 nm	22.30	20.40
460 nm	21.90	22.00
480 nm	21.50	23.90
500 nm	21.00	25.90
520 nm	20.40	26.70
540 nm	19.90	26.00
560 nm	19.50	24.50
580 nm	18.90	23.10
600 nm	18.50	21.90
620 nm	18.10	21.00
640 nm	17.90	20.40
660 nm	17.60	19.80
680 nm	17.40	19.40
700 nm	17.20	19.10

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Wattersite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	50%	100%	150%	200%	250%	300%	350%	400%	450%	480%
R₁
R₂

Calculated Properties of Wattersite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=7.53 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Wattersite =8.91 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.22
Boson Index = 0.78

Photoelectric:

PE_Wattersite=1,226.26 barns/electron
U=PE_Wattersite x rElectron Density=9,231.43 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Wattersite Classification

Dana Class:

35.04.02.01 (35)Anhydrous Chromates

(35.04)with miscellaneous formulae

(35.04.02)Dana Group

35.04.02.01 Wattersite Hg4HgCrO6 C 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

07.FB.15 07 - SULFATES (SELENATES, TELLURATES)

07.F - Chromates

07.FB -With additional O, V, S, Cl

07.FB.15 Wattersite Hg4HgCrO6 C 2/c 2/m

Other Wattersite Information

References:

NAME( MinRec) PHYS. PROP.(Am.Min.,Vol.77,p672,1992) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic5, MinRec)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Wattersite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - Google Images
6 - Google Scholar
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
9 - MinDAT
10 - MinMax(Deutsch)
11 - MinMax(English)
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Wattersite

Hg+4Hg++Cr++++++O6
Dana No: 35.04.02.01 Strunz No: 07.FB.15
Locality:

Notes: