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Gowerite

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Big Photo

Hard Scramble claim, Ryan, Black Mts, Furnace Creek District (Furnace Creek Borate District), Death Valley National Park, Inyo Co., California, USA
© Elmar Lackner 2009

Show Gowerite Photos (12)



Formula:
Ca[B
 
5
O
 
8
(OH)][B(OH)
 
3
] · 3H
 
2
O
System:MonoclinicHardness:3
Name:In honor of Harrison Preston Gower (1890–1967), Mining Manager, U.S. Borax and Chemical Company, for his assistance to scientific studies of Death Valley borate deposits.
This page provides mineralogical data about Gowerite.

Classification of Gowerite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:5/K.05-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:6.EC.10

6 : BORATES
E : Pentaborates
C : Phyllo-pentaborates
Dana 8th edition ID:26.5.8.1

26 : HYDRATED BORATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
5 : Pentaborates
Hey's CIM Ref.:9.3.13

9 : Borates
3 : Borates of Ca and Sr
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Type Occurrence of Gowerite

Type Locality:Hard Scramble claim, Ryan, Black Mts, Furnace Creek District (Furnace Creek Borate District), Death Valley National Park, Inyo Co., California, USA
Year of Discovery:1959

Physical Properties of Gowerite

Hardness (Mohs):3

Crystallography of Gowerite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Cell Parameters:a = 11.03Å, b = 16.4Å, c = 6.57Å
β = 90.93°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.673 : 1 : 0.401
Unit Cell Volume:V 1,188.30 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Optical Data of Gowerite

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.484 nβ = 1.501 nγ = 1.550
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.066

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Low
Dispersion:r > v to r < v strong

Chemical Properties of Gowerite

Formula:
Ca[B
 
5
O
 
8
(OH)][B(OH)
 
3
] · 3H
 
2
O
Essential elements:B, Ca, H, O
All elements listed in formula:B, Ca, H, O

Relationship of Gowerite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
6.EC.05Biringuccite
Na
 
2
B
 
5
O
 
8
(OH) · H
 
2
O
6.EC.05Nasinite
Na
 
4
B
 
10
O
 
17
 · 5H
 
2
O
6.EC.15P-Veatchite
6.EC.15Veatchite
Sr
 
2
B
 
11
O
 
16
(OH)
 
5
 · H
 
2
O
6.EC.20Volkovskite
KCa
 
4
[B
 
5
O
 
8
OH]
 
4
[B(OH)
 
3
]
 
2
Cl · 4H
 
2
O
6.EC.25Tuzlaite
NaCaB
 
5
O
 
8
(OH)
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O
6.EC.30Heidornite
Na
 
2
Ca
 
3
B
 
5
O
 
8
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
Cl(OH)
 
2
6.EC.35Brianroulstonite
Ca
 
3
[B
 
5
O
 
6
(OH)
 
6
](OH)Cl
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
9.3.1Calciborite
Ca(B
 
2
O
 
4
)
9.3.2Sibirskite
Ca
 
2
(HB
 
2
O
 
5
)(OH)
9.3.3Fabianite
CaB
 
3
O
 
5
OH
9.3.4Uralborite
Ca
 
2
[B
 
3
O
 
3
(OH)
 
5
 · OB(OH)
 
3
]
9.3.5Vimsite
CaB
 
2
O
 
2
(OH)
 
4
9.3.6Olshanskyite
Ca
 
3
[B(OH)
 
4
]
 
4
(OH)
 
2
9.3.7Frolovite
Ca[B(OH)
 
4
]
 
2
9.3.8Korzhinskite
Ca(B
 
2
O
 
4
) · H
 
2
O
9.3.9Tyretskite
Ca
 
2
B
 
5
O
 
9
OH · H
 
2
O
9.3.10Nifontovite
Ca
 
3
B
 
6
O
 
6
(OH)
 
12
(H
 
2
O)
 
2
9.3.12Inyoite
Ca(H
 
4
B
 
3
O
 
7
)(OH) · 4H
 
2
O
9.3.14Colemanite
Ca[B
 
3
O
 
4
(OH)
 
3
] · H
 
2
O
9.3.15Pentahydroborite
CaB
 
2
O(OH)
 
6
 · 2H
 
2
O
9.3.16Hexahydroborite
Ca[B(OH)
 
4
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
9.3.17Meyerhofferite
Ca
 
2
(H
 
3
B
 
3
O
 
7
)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
9.3.18Priceite
Ca
 
2
B
 
5
O
 
7
(OH)
 
5
 · H
 
2
O
9.3.19Ginorite
Ca
 
2
B
 
14
O
 
23
 · 8H
 
2
O
9.3.20Probertite
NaCaB
 
5
O
 
7
(OH)
 
4
 · 3H
 
2
O
9.3.21Ulexite
NaCa[B
 
5
O
 
6
(OH)
 
6
] · 5H
 
2
O
9.3.22Hydroboracite
CaMg[B
 
3
O
 
4
(OH)
 
3
]
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O
9.3.23Inderborite
CaMg(H
 
3
B
 
3
O
 
7
)
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
9.3.24Wardsmithite
Ca
 
5
Mg[B
 
4
O
 
7
]
 
6
 · 30H
 
2
O
9.3.25Henmilite
Ca
 
2
Cu[B(OH)
 
4
]
 
2
(OH)
 
4
9.3.26Strontioborite
SrB
 
8
O
 
11
(OH)
 
4
9.3.27Veatchite
Sr
 
2
B
 
11
O
 
16
(OH)
 
5
 · H
 
2
O
9.3.28Veatchite-A
Sr
 
2
B
 
11
O
 
16
(OH)
 
5
 · H
 
2
O
9.3.29 P-Veatchite
9.3.30 Balavinskite
Sr
 
2
B
 
6
O
 
11
 · 4H
 
2
O
9.3.31Tunellite
SrB
 
6
O
 
9
(OH)
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O
9.3.32Strontioginorite
(Sr,Ca)
 
2
B
 
14
O
 
23
 · 8H
 
2
O

Other Names for Gowerite

Other Languages:
German:Gowerit
Russian:Гоуерит
Spanish:Gowerita

Other Information

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 Gowerite

Reference List:

- +
American Mineralogist (1959): 44: 911-919.

American Mineralogist (1960): 45: 230.

Konnert, J.A., J.R. Clark & C.L. Christ (1972), Gowerite, CaB5O8(OH)•B(OH)3•3H2O: crystal structure and comparison with related borates: American Mineralogist: 57: 381-396.

Mineralogical Magazine (1962): 33: 260.

Grew, E.S., and Anovitz, L.M. (1996) BORON: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry, second edition, as revised (2002).

Internet Links for Gowerite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Gowerite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    • Localities for Gowerite

    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.
    Hide Locality List
    (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.
    South Africa
     
    • Northern Cape Province
      • Kalahari manganese fields
        • Hotazel
    		Minerals of South Africa
        • Kuruman
          • N'Chwaning Mines
    		[Von Bezing, K. L. et al. (1991) - The Kalahari (Afrique du Sud) manganese field : an update, Mineralogical Record, 22 (3), 279-302.]
    Minerals of South Africa
    USA
     
    • California
      • Inyo Co.
        • Death Valley National Park
          • Furnace Creek District (Furnace Creek Borate District)
            • Black Mts
              • Corkscrew Canyon
    		Erd, R.C., J.F. McAllister & H. Almond (1959), Gowerite, a new hydrous calcium borate from Death Valley, California: American Mineralogist: 44: 912; Christ, C.L. & J.R. Clark (1960), X-ray crystallography and crystal chemistry of gowerite, CaO-3B2O3-5H2O: American Mineralogist: 45: 230-234; Konnert, J.A., Clark, J.R., and Christ, C.L. (1972) Gowerite, CaB5O8(OH) •B(OH)3•3H2O: crystal structure and comparison with related borates. American Mineralogist: 57: 381-396; Pemberton, H. Earl (1983), Minerals of California; Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 252.
              • De Bely Mine (Debely Mine)
                • De Bely Mine area
    		American Mineralogist (1959): 44: 911-919.
              • Gower Gulch
    		www.mineralsocal.org
              • Ryan
    		Erd, R.C., J.F. McAllister & H. Almond (1959), Gowerite, a new hydrous calcium borate from Death Valley, California: American Mineralogist: 44: 911-919; Erd, R.C., J.F. McAllister, and A.C. Vlisidis (1970) Wardsmithite 5CaO • MgO •12B2O3 •30H2O, a new borate mineral from the Death Valley region, California. American Mineralogist: 55: 349-357.
    Am Min (1959) 44:911-919
              • Twenty Mule Team Canyon
                • Monte Blanco
    		American Mineralogist (1979): 64(3-4): 369-375.; Erd, R.C., J.F. McAllister, and G.D. Eberlein (1979) New data on hungchaoite, the second world occurrence, Death Valley region, California. American Mineralogist: 64: 369-375.
    Am Min 64:3-4 pp 369-375; Erd, R.C., J.F. McAllister, and G.D. Eberlein (1979) New data on hungchaoite, the second world occurrence, Death Valley region, California. American Mineralogist: 64: 369-375.
            • Twenty Mule Team Canyon
    		Erd, R.C., J.F. McAllister & H. Almond (1959), Gowerite, a new hydrous calcium borate from Death Valley, California: American Mineralogist: 44: 912; Murdoch, Joseph & Robert W. Webb (1966), Minerals of California, Centennial Volume (1866-1966): California Division Mines & Geology Bulletin 189: 205.
    Erd, R.C., J.F. McAllister & H. Almond (1959), Gowerite, a new hydrous calcium borate from Death Valley, California: American Mineralogist: 44: 912; Murdoch, Joseph & Robert W. Webb (1966), Minerals of California, Centennial Volume (1866-1966): California Division Mines & Geology Bulletin 189: 206.
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    Copyright © Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau 1993-2013. Site Map. Locality, mineral & photograph data are the copyright of the individuals who submitted them. Further information contact the Site hosted & developed by Jolyon Ralph. Mindat.org is an online information resource dedicated to providing free mineralogical information to all. Mindat relies on the contributions of hundreds of members and supporters. Mindat does not offer minerals for sale. If you would like to add information to improve the quality of our database, then click here to register.
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