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Gerhardtite

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Great Australia Mine, Cloncurry, Cloncurry District, Mt Isa - Cloncurry area, Queensland, Australia

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Formula:
Cu
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|NO
 
3
]
System:OrthorhombicColour:Emerald Green
Hardness:2
Name:After Charles Gerhardt, a chemist who first prepared the artificial compound.
Dimorph of:Rouaite
This page provides mineralogical data about Gerhardtite.

Classification of Gerhardtite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:5/A.03-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:5.NB.05

5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
N : NITRATES
B : With OH
Dana 7th edition ID:19.1.1.1
Dana 8th edition ID:19.1.1.1

19 : NITRATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
1 : Anhydrous Nitrates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen
Hey's CIM Ref.:13.3

13 : Nitrates
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Type Occurrence of Gerhardtite

Type Locality:United Verde Mine (The Big Hole; Big Hole property; Hull Mine; Hopewell tunnel; Patented claim 3480; Patented claim 2812; Patented claims 3348), Jerome, Verde District, Black Hills (Black Hill Range), Yavapai Co., Arizona, USA
Year of Discovery:1885

Physical Properties of Gerhardtite

Lustre:Vitreous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent
Colour:Emerald Green
Streak:Light green
Hardness (Mohs):2
Cleavage:Perfect
On {001} perfect; on {100} good.
Density (measured):3.4 - 3.43 g/cm3

Crystallography of Gerhardtite

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Cell Parameters:a = 5.59Å, b = 6.07Å, c = 13.81Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.921 : 1 : 2.275
Unit Cell Volume:V 468.59 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:Crystals thick tabular {001}. Strongly striated on the pyramid zone. Faces often in oscillatory combination. Crystals flexible, with separation along {100}.

Optical Data of Gerhardtite

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.703 nβ = 1.713 nγ = 1.722
2V:Measured: 85° , Calculated: 86°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.019

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:High
Dispersion:r < v very strong
Pleochroism:Visible
Comments:X = Green
Y = Green
Z = Blue

Chemical Properties of Gerhardtite

Formula:
Cu
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|NO
 
3
]
Essential elements:Cu, H, N, O
All elements listed in formula:Cu, H, N, O

Relationship of Gerhardtite to other Species

Common Associates:
Cuprite
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
5.NB.05Rouaite
Cu
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|NO
 
3
]
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
13.1Nitratine
NaNO
 
3
13.2Niter
KNO
 
3
13.4Nitromagnesite
Mg(NO
 
3
)
 
2
·6H
 
2
O
13.5Nitrocalcite
Ca(NO
 
3
)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
13.6Nitrobarite
Ba(NO
 
3
)
 
2
13.7Buttgenbachite
Cu
 
19
[(OH)
 
32
|(NO
 
3
)
 
2
|Cl
 
4
] · 2H
 
2
O
13.8Sveite
KAl
 
7
[Cl|(OH)
 
8
|(NO
 
3
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
13.9Darapskite
Na
 
3
NO
 
3
SO
 
4
·H
 
2
O
13.10Humberstonite
Na
 
7
K
 
3
Mg
 
2
(SO
 
4
)
 
6
(NO
 
3
)
 
2
·6H
 
2
O
13.11Mbobomkulite
(Ni,Cu)Al
 
4
[(OH)
 
12
|{(NO
 
3
)
 
2
,SO
 
4
}] · 3H
 
2
O
13.12Hydrombobomkulite
(Ni,Cu)Al
 
4
[(OH)
 
12
|{(NO
 
3
)
 
2
,SO
 
4
}] · 13-14H
 
2
O
13.13Nickelalumite
(Ni,Cu)Al
 
4
[(OH)
 
12
|{SO
 
4
,(NO
 
3
)
 
2
}] · 3H
 
2
O

Other Names for Gerhardtite

German names:
Gerhardtit
Russian names:
Герхардтит
Spanish names:
Gerhardtita

Other Information

Other Information:Insoluble in water. Soluble in dilute acids.
Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Gerhardtite

Reference List:Wells and Penfield (1885) American Journal of Science: 30: 50.

Lindgren and Hillebrand (1904) American Journal of Science: 18: 448.

Thoreau (1923) Société géologique de Belgique, Liége, Annales: 46: B 285.

Larsen, E.S. and Berman, H. (1934) The Microscopic Determination of the Nonopaque Minerals, Second edition, USGS Bulletin 848: 129, 190.

Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 308-309.

Zeitschrift für Kristallographie: 116: 210-219.

Helv. Chim. Acta: 35: 375-390.

Articles/Blogs about Gerhardtite

Internet Links for Gerhardtite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
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    Localities for Gerhardtite

    Hide Locality List
    The 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.
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    (TL) indicates type locality. ? indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. All other localities listed without reference should be considered as uncertain and unproven until references can be found.
    Australia
     
    • Queensland
      • Mt Isa - Cloncurry area
        • Cloncurry District
          • Cloncurry
    		No reference listed
    Chile
     
    • Atacama Region
      • Copiapó Province
        • Paipote
          • Quebrada San Miguel mining district
    		Terry Szenics
    • Tarapacá Region
      • Iquique Province
        • Pica
          • Altos de Pica
    		Sulphides analysed by geology dep. of company; sulphates, phosphates, analysed by Bob Jenkins (Usa) 2007
    Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaïre)
     
    • Katanga (Shaba)
      • Katanga Copper Crescent
        • Central area
          • Likasi
    		Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 309.
    France
     
    • Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
      • Alpes-Maritimes
        • Guillaumes
          • Daluis
    		Riviéra Scientifique:85:3-12, 2001 (15 Oct 2001), Sarp, et al.
    Germany
     
    • North Rhine-Westphalia
      • Sauerland
        • Meschede
          • Ramsbeck
    		S. Weiß: "Mineralfundstellen, Deutschland West", Weise (Munich), 1990
      • Siegerland
        • Burbach
    Italy
     
    • Tuscany
      • Livorno Province
        • Piombino
    		Franzini & Perchiazzi, 1992. I minerali delle scorie ferrifere di Baratti (Livorno). Atti Soc. Tosc. Sci. Nat., Mem., Serie A: 43-77
    USA
     
    • Arizona
      • Greenlee Co.
        • Shannon Mts
    		Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 230.
            • Clifton
    		Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 309; Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 230; Lindgren, W. & W.F. Hillebrand (1904), Minerals from the Clifton-Morenci district, AZ, Amer.Jour.Sci.: 18: 448-460; Lindgren, W. (1905), The copper deposits of the Clifton-Morenci district, AZ, USGS PP 43; Guild, F.N. (1905), The petrography of the Tucson Mountains, Amer.Jour.Sci.: 20: 313; Galbraith, F.W. & D.J. Brennan (1959), Minerals of AZ: 56.
      • Pima Co.
        • Sierrita Mts
          • Pima District (Olive District; Mineral Hill District; Twin Buttes District)
            • San Xavier
              • Mission complex
                • Mineral Hill
                  • Mineral Hill Mines (Azurite group)
    		Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 183, 230, 336; Williams, S.A. (1961), Gerhardtite from the Daisy shaft, Mineral Hill mine, Pima Co., AZ, AZ Geol. Soc. Digest: 4: 123.
      • Yavapai Co.
        • Black Hills (Black Hill Range)
          • Verde District
            • Jerome
    		Wells, H.L. & S.L. Penfield (1885), Gerhardtite and artificial cupric nitrates, American Journal of Science: 30: 50-57; Dana 6: 1094; Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 309; Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 230-231; Galbraith, F.W. & Brennan (1959), Minerals of AZ: 56.
    • Michigan
      • Ontonagon Co.
        • Mass City
    		Ref.: Rocks & Min.: 58:112; 63:494; 65:240-243.
    Mineral and/or Locality
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