Mcguinnessite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Mcguinnessite
Albert L. "Al" McGuinness
Formula:
(Mg,Cu)2(CO3)(OH)2
Colour:
Light blue-green, Cu-rich cores slightly darker blue, Mg-rich rims very pale blue-green to nearly white
Lustre:
Vitreous, Silky
Hardness:
2½
Specific Gravity:
3.02 - 3.22
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Member of:
Name:
Named in honor of Albert Leo "Al" McGuinness (17 August 17, 1926, Oakland, California, USA - 29 September 1990, Oregon, USA), mining engineer and mineral collector and dealer. He collected and discovered the mineral.
Rosasite Group.
A Ni-rich mcguinnessite approaching the composition of a hypothetical end-member NiMg(CO3)(OH)2 has been described by Féher et al. (2010).
A Ni-rich mcguinnessite approaching the composition of a hypothetical end-member NiMg(CO3)(OH)2 has been described by Féher et al. (2010).
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
2615
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:2615:0
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
999b55aa-64d4-45f4-955e-050fc399b938
IMA Classification of Mcguinnessite
Approved
IMA Formula:
CuMg(CO3)(OH)2
First published:
1981
Classification of Mcguinnessite
5.BA.10
5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
B : Carbonates with additional anions, without H2O
A : With Cu, Co, Ni, Zn, Mg, Mn
5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
B : Carbonates with additional anions, without H2O
A : With Cu, Co, Ni, Zn, Mg, Mn
16a.3.1.4
16a : ANHYDROUS CARBONATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
3 : (AB)2(XO3)Zq
16a : ANHYDROUS CARBONATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
3 : (AB)2(XO3)Zq
11.3.11
11 : Carbonates
3 : Carbonates of Mg
11 : Carbonates
3 : Carbonates of Mg
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mgu | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Mcguinnessite
Vitreous, Silky
Transparency:
Translucent
Colour:
Light blue-green, Cu-rich cores slightly darker blue, Mg-rich rims very pale blue-green to nearly white
Streak:
White
Hardness:
2½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Comment:
Fracture: Even
Density:
3.02 - 3.22 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.117 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Comment:
Calculated value is for Mg/Cu = 1.17
Optical Data of Mcguinnessite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.596 - 1.602 nβ = 1.724 - 1.730 nγ = 1.724 - 1.732
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.128 - 0.130
Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
High
Dispersion:
r < v weak
Pleochroism:
Weak
Comments:
Z,Y (light bluish green); X (very pale green)
Chemistry of Mcguinnessite
Mindat Formula:
(Mg,Cu)2(CO3)(OH)2
Chemical Analysis
Oxide wt%:
| 1 | |
|---|---|
| CuO | 60.68 % |
| MgO | 33.01 % |
| SiO2 | 6.30 % |
| Total: | 99.99 % |
Sample references:
| ID | Locality | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Correc d'en Llinassos, Oms, Céret, Pyrénées-Orientales, Occitanie, France | SEM-EDS uncoated of globular blue-green aggregates. |
Crystallography of Mcguinnessite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Cell Parameters:
a = 9.398(2) Å, b = 12.011(2) Å, c = 3.379(2) Å
β = 93.28(5)°
β = 93.28(5)°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.782 : 1 : 0.281
Unit Cell V:
380.79 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Comment:
May be triclinic. Space Group: P2/a or P21/a
Crystal Structure
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Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0011133 | Mcguinnessite | Perchiazzi N (2006) Crystal structure determination and Rietveld refinement of rosasite and mcguinnessite Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie Supplement 23 505-510 | 2006 | Red Mountain, California, USA | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 6.015 Å | (100) |
| 5.054 Å | (16) |
| 3.694 Å | (67) |
| 3.002 Å | (12) |
| 2.530 Å | (25) |
| 2.326 Å | (15) |
| 2.139 Å | (23) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 3b: Earth’s earliest hydrosphere | >4.45 |
| 13 : Hadean serpentinization | |
| Stage 5: Initiation of plate tectonics | <3.5-2.5 |
| 40 : Regional metamorphism (greenschist, amphibolite, granulite facies) |
Type Occurrence of Mcguinnessite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Spherules on joint and vein surfaces.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
U.S. National Museum, Washington, D.C., USA (NMNH #147169).
Mineralogical Collection of the University P. and M. Curie, Paris, France.
Mineralogical Collection of the University P. and M. Curie, Paris, France.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Rodingitized metagabbro dikes in a serpentinized peridotite
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Reference:
Erd, R.C., Cesbron, F.P., Goff, F.E., and Clark, J.R. (1981) Mcguinnessite, a new carbonate from California. Mineralogical Record: 12: 143-147.
Synonyms of Mcguinnessite
Other Language Names for Mcguinnessite
German:McGuinnessit
Spanish:McGuinnessita
Relationship of Mcguinnessite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of this group:
| Chukanovite | Fe2+2(CO3)(OH)2 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
| Glaukosphaerite | (Cu,Ni)2(CO3)(OH)2 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
| Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
| Nullaginite | Ni2(CO3)(OH)2 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
| Parádsasvárite | Zn2(CO3)(OH)2 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
| Perchiazziite | Co2(CO3)(OH)2 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
| Pokrovskite | Mg2(CO3)(OH)2 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
| Rosasite | (Cu,Zn)2(CO3)(OH)2 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
| Zincrosasite | (Zn,Cu)2(CO3)(OH)2 | Mon. |
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| 9 photos of Mcguinnessite associated with Serpentine Subgroup | D3[Si2O5](OH)4 |
| 8 photos of Mcguinnessite associated with Hydromagnesite | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O |
| 8 photos of Mcguinnessite associated with Vuagnatite | CaAl(SiO4)(OH) |
| 7 photos of Mcguinnessite associated with Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| 5 photos of Mcguinnessite associated with Callaghanite | Cu2Mg2(CO3)(OH)6 · 2H2O |
| 4 photos of Mcguinnessite associated with Cuprite | Cu2O |
| 4 photos of Mcguinnessite associated with Diopside | CaMgSi2O6 |
| 4 photos of Mcguinnessite associated with Andradite | Ca3Fe3+2(SiO4)3 |
| 4 photos of Mcguinnessite associated with Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 3 photos of Mcguinnessite associated with Aragonite | CaCO3 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 5.BA.05 | Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| 5.BA.10 | Georgeite | [Cu(OH)2-x(H2O)x][CO3]x/2 |
| 5.BA.10 | Glaukosphaerite | (Cu,Ni)2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 5.BA.10 | Kolwezite | CuCo(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 5.BA.10 | Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 5.BA.10 | Nullaginite | Ni2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 5.BA.10 | Pokrovskite | Mg2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 5.BA.10 | Rosasite | (Cu,Zn)2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 5.BA.10 | Zincrosasite | (Zn,Cu)2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 5.BA.10 | Chukanovite | Fe2+2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 5.BA.10 | Parádsasvárite | Zn2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 5.BA.10 | Perchiazziite | Co2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 5.BA.15 | Aurichalcite | (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| 5.BA.15 | Hydrozincite | Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| 5.BA.20 | Holdawayite | Mn6(CO3)2(OH)7(Cl,OH) |
| 5.BA.25 | Defernite | Ca6(CO3)1.58(Si2O7)0.21(OH)7[Cl0.50(OH)0.08(H2O)0.42] |
| 5.BA.25 | UM1977-03-COSiO:CaClH | Ca10-11(CO3)7(SiO4)Cl1-2(OH)1-2 |
| 5.BA.30 | Loseyite | (Mn2+,Zn,Mg)4Zn3(CO3)2(OH)10 |
| 5.BA.30 | Sclarite | Zn7(CO3)2(OH)10 |
Fluorescence of Mcguinnessite
None observed
Other Information
Notes:
Slowly but completely soluble with effervescence in cold dilute mineral 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 Mcguinnessite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-2615.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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External Links:
References for Mcguinnessite
Reference List:
Fleischer, Michael, Cabri, Louis J. (1981) New Mineral Names. American Mineralogist, 66 (11-12) 1274-1280
Frost, Ray L. (2006) A Raman spectroscopic study of selected minerals of the rosasite group. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 37 (9) 910-921 doi:10.1002/jrs.1521
Frost, R. L., Wain, D. L., Martens, W. N., Reddy, B. J. (2007) The molecular structure of selected minerals of the rosasite group–an XRD, SEM and infrared spectroscopic study. Polyhedron, 26 (2) 275-283 doi:10.1016/j.poly.2006.05.046
Localities for Mcguinnessite
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- 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).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Australia | |
| Bosworth (2002) |
| XRD confirmed by South Australian Museum |
| Sandfire Resources- Murray Thompson- ... |
Austria | |
| Paar et al. (1998) |
| Exel (1993) |
| Exel (1993) | |
| Postl et al. (1988) +1 other reference |
| Exel (1993) |
| Neschen (n.d.) |
France | |
| C.Auer (2020) |
| Joan Rosell (2021) |
Greece | |
| Branko Rieck collection (PXRD- and Raman-analysed, https://lavrion.gr/Minerals/M/Mcguinnessite.html) |
Italy | |
| Palenzona A. (1996) |
| M.E. Ciriotti |
| Bedognè et al. (2006) |
Japan | |
| Matsubara & Kato (1993) +1 other reference |
| Kosuge (1997) |
Morocco | |
| Favreau et al. (2007) |
New Zealand | |
| a new occurrence. Mineralogical Magazine +1 other reference |
Romania | |
| Koller G. +1 other reference |
Russia | |
| Andrey V Vishnevskiy |
| Erokhin et al. (2023) |
South Africa | |
| Zaccarini et al. (2002) |
Spain | |
| Rewitzer et al. (part 2) |
| Calvo et al. (2003) |
USA (TL) | |
| a New Occurrence. Mineralogical Magazine +2 other references |
| Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 229. +2 other references | |
| James Bauer's Collection |
| Parker (2005) |
| Richard Gibson collection |
| Castor et al. (2004) |
| Castor et al. (2004) | |
| Castor et al. (2004) | |
| Walstrom (n.d.) | |
| Castor et al. (2004) | |
| Castor et al. (2004) |
| Castor et al. (2004) |
| FM newsletter vol.31 no.1 Jan-Mar '01 ... |
| Personally Collected 4/12/2008 | |
| Kampf et al. (2012) |
| Kampf et al. (2012) | |
| Kampf et al. (2012) |
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Sierra Magnesite Mine, Gabbs, Gabbs Mining District, Nye County, Nevada, USA