Orthoserpierite from Cínovec, Krušné hory mountains (Czech Republic)
Article PDFOrthoserpierite from Cínovec, Krušné hory mountains (Czech Republic)
A rare mineral orthoserpierite, Ca(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6·3H2O, was found in rock material from the third level of an abandoned Cínovec mine 1 of the Cínovec Sn-W deposit, Krušné hory Mountains, northern Bohemia. This is the third occurrence of this mineral in the Czech Republic. Light blue coatings of orthoserpierite occur cover the area, up to 5 × 7 mm in size, and are formed by flattened acicular crystals, up to 0.3 mm in length, in association with linarite, brochantite and anglesite. Orthoserpierite is orthorhombic, space group Pca21, with the unit-cell parameters refined from X-ray powder diffraction data: a 22.080(6), b 6.196(4), c 20.345(6) Å and V 2783.6(1.2) Å3. Chemical analyses of orthoserpierite correspond to the empirical formula (Ca1.02Pb0.02)Σ1.04(Cu3.65Zn0.30)Σ3.95(SO4)1.96(PO4)0.03(OH)6·3H2O, calculated based on the sum of cations = 5 apfu. Its origin is connected with simultaneous weathering of primary tennantite, sphalerite, and galena in the conditions of supergene zone in-situ.
Jiří Sejkora, Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, National Museum, Cirkusová 1740, 193 00 Prague 9- Horní Počernice; e-mail: jiri.sejkora@nm.cz
Petr Pauliš, Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, National Museum, Cirkusová 1740, 193 00 Prague 9-Horní Počernice
Ondřej Pour, Czech Geological Survey, Geologická 6, 152 00 Praha 5
Zdeněk Dvořák, Severočeské doly a. s. – doly Bílina, Důlní 375/89, 418 29 Bílina
Zdeněk Dolníček, Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, National Museum, Cirkusová 1740, 193 00 Prague 9-Horní Počernice