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Nissonite

Big Photo

Boss Mine, Goodsprings District, Clark Co., Nevada, USA
© JM. Johannet

Show Nissonite Photos (10)
Formula:
Cu
 
2
Mg
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 5H
 
2
O
System:Monoclinic
Name:Named for W. H. Nisson
This page provides mineralogical data about Nissonite.

Classification of Nissonite

IMA status:Approved 1966
Strunz 8th edition ID:7/D.07-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:8.DC.05

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
D : Phosphates, etc. with additional anions, with H2O
C : With only medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 1:1 and < 2:1
Dana 8th edition ID:42.7.5.1

42 : HYDRATED PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
7 : (AB)2(XO4)Zq·xH2O
Hey's CIM Ref.:19.2.6

19 : Phosphates
2 : Phosphates of Cu
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Type Occurrence of Nissonite

Type Locality:Llanada Copper Mine, Llanada, Panoche Valley, San Benito Co., California, USA
Year of Discovery:1966

Crystallography of Nissonite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Cell Parameters:a = 22.58Å, b = 5.02Å, c = 10.51Å
β = 99.33°
Ratio:a:b:c = 4.498 : 1 : 2.094
Unit Cell Volume:V 1,175.57 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Optical Data of Nissonite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.584 nβ = 1.620 nγ = 1.621
2V:Measured: 19° , Calculated: 18°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.037

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Moderate
Dispersion:small

Chemical Properties of Nissonite

Formula:
Cu
 
2
Mg
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 5H
 
2
O
Essential elements:Cu, H, Mg, O, P
All elements listed in formula:Cu, H, Mg, O, P

Relationship of Nissonite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
8.DC.07Euchroite
Cu
 
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
] · 3H
 
2
O
8.DC.10Legrandite
Zn
 
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
] · H
 
2
O
8.DC.12Strashimirite
Cu
 
8
[OH|AsO
 
4
]
 
4
 · 5H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Arthurite
CuFe
3+
2
[(OH,O)|(AsO
 
4
,PO
 
4
,SO
 
4
)]
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Earlshannonite
Mn
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Ojuelaite
ZnFe
3+
2
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Whitmoreite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Cobaltarthurite
(Co,Mg)Fe
3+
2
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Bendadaite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15Kunatite
CuFe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15UKI-2006-(PO:FeHZn)
ZnFe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
8.DC.15UKI-2006-(PO:AlCuFeH)
Fe
2+
 
Al
 
3
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
8.DC.17Kleemanite
ZnAl
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O
8.DC.20Bermanite
Mn
2+
 
(H
 
2
O)
 
4
[Mn
3+
2
(OH)
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.DC.22Kovdorskite
Mg
 
2
(PO
 
4
)(OH)·3H
 
2
O
8.DC.25Ferristrunzite
Fe
3+
 
Fe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
3
 · 5H
 
2
O
8.DC.25Ferrostrunzite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
8.DC.25Metavauxite
Fe
2+
 
Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.25Strunzite
Mn
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
8.DC.27Beraunite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
5
[(OH)
 
5
|(PO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Gordonite
MgAl
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Laueite
Mn
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Mangangordonite
Mn
2+
 
Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Paravauxite
Fe
2+
 
Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Pseudolaueite
Mn
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Sigloite
Fe
3+
 
Al
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 7H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Stewartite
Mn
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Ushkovite
MgFe
3+
2
[PO
 
4
]
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Ferrolaueite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Kastningite
(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
,Mg)Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.30Maghrebite
MgAl
 
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
8.DC.32Tinticite
Fe
3+
5.34
(PO
 
4
)
 
3.62
(VO
 
4
)
 
0.38
(OH)
 
4
·6.7H
 
2
O
8.DC.35Vauxite
Fe
2+
 
Al
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
8.DC.37Vantasselite
Al
 
4
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
3
 · 9H
 
2
O
8.DC.40Cacoxenite
Fe
3+
24
Al[(OH)
 
12
|O
 
6
|(PO
 
4
)
 
17
] · 17H
 
2
O
8.DC.45Gormanite
(Fe
2+
 
,Mg)
 
3
(Al,Fe
3+
 
)
 
4
[(OH)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 2H
 
2
O
8.DC.45Souzalite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
3
(Al,Fe
3+
 
)
 
4
[(OH)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 2H
 
2
O
8.DC.47Kingite
Al
 
3
[(OH)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 9H
 
2
O
8.DC.50Wavellite
Al
 
3
[(OH,F)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 5H
 
2
O
8.DC.50Allanpringite
Fe
3+
3
[(OH)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 5H
 
2
O
8.DC.52Kribergite
Al
 
5
[(OH)
 
4
|SO
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
3
] · 4H
 
2
O
8.DC.55Mapimite
Zn
 
2
Fe
3+
3
[(OH)
 
4
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
] · 10H
 
2
O
8.DC.57Ogdensburgite
Ca
 
2
Fe
3+
4
(Zn,Mn
2+
 
)[(OH)
 
3
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
8.DC.60Nevadaite
(Cu
2+
 
,Al,V
3+
 
)
 
6
Al
 
8
(PO
 
4
)
 
8
F
 
8
(OH)
 
2
(H
 
2
O)
 
22
8.DC.60Cloncurryite
(Cu,VO)Al
 
2
[(F,OH)|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 4.5-5H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
19.2.1Libethenite
Cu
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
19.2.2Cornetite
Cu
 
3
[(OH)
 
3
|PO
 
4
]
19.2.3Reichenbachite
Cu
 
5
[(OH)
 
2
|PO
 
4
]
 
2
19.2.4Ludjibaite
Cu
 
5
[(OH)
 
2
|PO
 
4
]
 
2
19.2.5Pseudomalachite
Cu
 
5
[(OH)
 
2
|PO
 
4
]
 
2
19.2.7Zapatalite
Cu
 
3
Al
 
4
[(OH)
 
3
|PO
 
4
]
 
3
 · 4H
 
2
O
19.2.8Turquoise
Cu(Al,Fe
3+
 
)
 
6
[(OH)
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
19.2.9Sieleckiite
Cu
 
3
Al
 
4
[(OH)
 
6
|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 2H
 
2
O
19.2.10Planerite
Al
 
6
[(OH)
 
4
|HPO
 
4
|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 4 H
 
2
O
19.2.11Hentschelite
CuFe
3+
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
19.2.13Chalcosiderite
Cu(Fe
3+
 
,Al)
 
6
[(OH)
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
19.2.14Phosphofibrite
[K
 
<0.5
(H
 
2
O)
 
3
][(Fe
3+
 
,Cu)
 
8
(PO
 
4
)
 
6
(OH)
 
7
(H
 
2
O)
 
4
]

Other Names for Nissonite

Synonyms:
IMA1966-026
Other Languages:
German:Nissonit
Russian:Ниссонит
Spanish:Nissonita

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 Nissonite

Reference List:Mrose, M.E., R. Meyrowitz, J.T. Alfors & C.W. Chesterman (1966), Nissonite, CMg(PO4)(OH)•2½H2O, a new hydrous copper-magnesium-phosphate mineral from Panoche Valley, California: Geological Society of America Abstracts, 1966: 145-146.

Mrose, M.E., R. Meyrowitz, J.T. Alfors & C.W. Chesterman (1966), Nissonite: American Mineralogist: 52: 927.

American Mineralogist (1990): 75: 1170-1175.

Internet Links for Nissonite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Search for Nissonite in the Natural History Museum (London) online catalogue
  • Nissonite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    Localities for Nissonite

    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.
    (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
        • Gunpowder District
          • Mount Gordon
    		Min Rec 24:49
    • South Australia
      • Eyre peninsula
        • Middleback Range
          • Iron Knob
    		Pring, A., Francis, G. & Birch, W. D. (1992): Nissonite, namibite, and other additions to the mineral suite from Iron Monarch, South Australia. Australian Mineral. 6, 31-39.
    USA
     
    • California
      • San Benito Co.
        • Panoche Valley
          • Llanada
    		[Am Min 52 (1967), 927; Hey CIM p498]
    • Nevada
      • Clark Co.
        • Goodsprings District
    		NBMG Spec. Pub. 31 Minerals of Nevada
    Mineral and/or Locality
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    Copyright © Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau 1993-2009. 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. If you would like to add information to improve the quality of our database, then click here to register. Current server date and time: 9th Oct 2009 03:47:52