Spencerite (original) (raw)

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered

About SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Formula:

Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2 · 3H2O

Colour:

White, light green; colourless in transmitted light.

Specific Gravity:

3.123 - 3.145

Crystal System:

Monoclinic

Name:

Named after Leonard James Spencer (Worcester, UK,7 July 1870 - London, UK, 14 Apri1 1959), Keeper of Minerals, British Museum of Natural History (London)

An uncommon secondary mineral occurring in some zinc-bearing hydrothermal deposits.

Unique IdentifiersHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:3722:4

a209bbdf-573c-45dd-a222-da1d62ff9b77

IMA Classification of SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)

Type description reference:

Classification of SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

8.DA.40

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
D : Phosphates, etc. with additional anions, with H2O
A : With small (and occasionally larger) cations

42.6.4.2

42 : HYDRATED PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
6 : A2(XO4)Zq·xH2O

19.6.2

19 : Phosphates
6 : Phosphates of Zn

Mineral SymbolsHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Pronunciation of SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Pronunciation:

Physical Properties of SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Transparency:

Transparent, Translucent

Comment:

Lustre pearly on cleavages.

Colour:

White, light green; colourless in transmitted light.

Cleavage:

Perfect
On {100}, perfect; on {010}, good; on {001}, distinct.

Density:

3.123 - 3.145 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.282 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

RI values:

_n_α = 1.586 _n_β = 1.602 _n_γ = 1.606

δ = 0.020

Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.

Chemistry of SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Mindat Formula:

Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2 · 3H2O

Crystallography of SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Crystal System:

Monoclinic

Class (H-M):

2/m - Prismatic

Cell Parameters:

a = 10.43 Å, b = 5.27 Å, c = 11.19 Å
β = 116.8°

Ratio:

a:b:c = 1.979 : 1 : 2.123

Unit Cell V:

549.00 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Morphology:

Pseudo-orthorhombic. Crystals elongated [001], tabular on {100}, terminations commonly blunt and rectabgular with {102}, {001}, and {101}; lance-like at times with large {121} and {221}, with numerous additional forms. Commonly with a columnar to platy structure, stalactitic, massive.

Twinning:

Polysynthetic. Twin and composition plane {100}. The twinning results in {h0l being striated [010].

Crystal StructureHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Load
Unit Cell |Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 |3x3x3 |4x4x4

Show
Big Balls |Small Balls |Just Balls |Spacefill
Polyhedra Off |Si Polyhedra |All Polyhedra
Remove metal-metal sticks

Display Options
Black Background |White Background
Perspective On |Perspective Off
2D |Stereo |Red-Blue |Red-Cyan

View
CIF File Best |x |y |z |a |b |c

Rotation
Stop |Start

Labels
Console Off |On |Grey |Yellow

ID	Species	Reference	Link	Year	Locality	Pressure (GPa)	Temp (K)
0014456	Spencerite	Fanfani L, Nunzi A, Zanazzi P F (1972) Structure and twinning in spencerite Mineralogical Magazine 38 687-692		1972	Salmo, British Columbia, Canada	0	293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα

Data Set:

Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Powder Diffraction Data:

Geological EnvironmentHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Type Occurrence of SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

General Appearance of Type Material:

The central portion of stalactitic hemimorphite growths.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

1. Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Toronto, Canada: M9602, M9610, M9691, M9726.
2. The Natural History Museum, London, England.
3. Natural History Museum, Paris, France: 120.22.
4. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: 98956.
5. National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA: 121566.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

Cave in oxidized zinc ore.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Reference:

Walker, T.L. (1916) Spencerite, a new zinc phosphate from British Columbia. Mineralogical Magazine: 18: 76-81.

Synonyms of SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Other Language Names for SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Common AssociatesHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Other InformationHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Notes:

Readily soluble in acids.

Health Risks:

No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

References for SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Reference List:

**Palache, Charles, Berman, Harry, Frondel, Clifford (1951) The System of Mineralogy (7th ed.) Vol. 2 - Halides, Nitrates, Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates, Phosphates, Arsenates, Tungstates, Molybdates, Ect. John Wiley and Sons, New York.**pp.931-933

Localities for SpenceriteHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

- This locality has map coordinates listed. - This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. - Good crystals or important locality for species. - World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.