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Orpheite

Big Photo

Valmy, Iron Point District, Humboldt Co., Nevada, USA
© 2005 M. Kampf

Formula:
PbAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
,SO
 
4
)
 
2
] (?)
System:TrigonalHardness:3½
Name:
Named after Orpheus, the mythical singer in the Rhodopes Mountains


Not a valid species (single-crystal structure refinement of a crystal from the type material showed it to be hinsdalite; U. Kolitsch, unpublished data.)

Classification of Orpheite

IMA status:Approved 1965
Explanation of status:Probably hinsdalite (never officially discredited).
Strunz 8th edition ID:7/B.35-65
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:8.BL.05

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H2O
L : With medium-sized and large cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 = 3:1
Dana 8th edition ID:43.4.1.4

43 : COMPOUND PHOSPHATES, ETC.
4 : Anhydrous Compound Phosphates, etc·, Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen
Hey's CIM Ref.:22.3.19

22 : Phosphates, Arsenates or Vanadates with other Anions
3 : Phosphates, arsenates or vanadates with sulphates
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Type Occurrence of Orpheite

Type Locality:Madjarovo deposit (Madyarovo deposit; Madzharovo deposit), Rhodope Mts, Haskovo Oblast (Khaskovo Oblast), Bulgaria
Year of Discovery:1968

Physical Properties of Orpheite

Streak:white
Hardness (Mohs):3½

Crystallography of Orpheite

Crystal System:Trigonal
Cell Parameters:a = 7Å, c = 16.72Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 2.389
Unit Cell Volume:V 709.52 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Optical Data of Orpheite

Type:Uniaxial (+)
RI values: nω = 1.670 nε = 1.691
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.021

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

Chemical Properties of Orpheite

Formula:
PbAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
,SO
 
4
)
 
2
] (?)
Essential elements:Al, H, O, P, Pb
All elements listed in formula:Al, H, O, P, Pb, S

Relationship of Orpheite to other Species

Member of Group:
Beudantite Subgroup:
AB
 
3
(XO
 
4
)(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
6
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
8.BL.05Beudantite
PbFe
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|AsO
 
4
]
8.BL.05Corkite
PbFe
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|PO
 
4
]
8.BL.05Hidalgoite
PbAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|AsO
 
4
]
8.BL.05Hinsdalite
PbAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|PO
 
4
]
8.BL.05Kemmlitzite
(Sr,Ce)Al
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|AsO
 
4
]
8.BL.05Svanbergite
SrAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|PO
 
4
]
8.BL.05Weilerite
8.BL.05Woodhouseite
CaAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|PO
 
4
]
8.BL.05Gallobeudantite
PbGa
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|AsO
 
4
]
8.BL.10Arsenogoyazite
SrAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
5
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
] · H
 
2
O
8.BL.10Arsenogorceixite
BaAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
5
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
] · H
 
2
O
8.BL.10Arsenocrandallite
(Ca,Sr)Al
 
3
[(OH)
 
5
|(AsO
 
4
,PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · H
 
2
O
8.BL.10Benauite
SrFe
3+
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(HPO
 
4
,PO
 
4
)|(PO
 
4
,SO
 
4
)]
8.BL.10Crandallite
CaAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
5
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · H
 
2
O
8.BL.10Dussertite
BaFe
3+
3
[(OH)
 
5
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.10Eylettersite
(Th,Pb)Al
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
,SiO
 
4
)
 
2
] ?
8.BL.10Gorceixite
BaAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
5
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · H
 
2
O
8.BL.10Goyazite
SrAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
5
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · H
 
2
O
8.BL.10Kintoreite
PbFe
3+
3
[(OH,H
 
2
O)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.10Philipsbornite
PbAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
5
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
] · H
 
2
O
8.BL.10Plumbogummite
PbAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
5
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · H
 
2
O
8.BL.10Segnitite
PbFe
3+
3
[(OH,H
 
2
O)
 
6
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.10Springcreekite
BaV
3+
3
[(OH,H
 
2
O)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.13Arsenoflorencite-(La)
LaAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.13Arsenoflorencite-(Nd)
NdAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.13Arsenoflorencite-(Ce)
CeAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.13Florencite-(Ce)
CeAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.13Florencite-(La)
LaAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.13Florencite-(Nd)
NdAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.13Waylandite
(Bi,Ca)Al
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
,SiO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.13Zaïrite
Bi(Fe
3+
 
,Al)
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.13Arsenowaylandite
BiAl
 
3
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
8.BL.13Graulichite-(Ce)
CeFe
3+
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BL.15Viitaniemiite
Na(Ca,Mn
2+
 
)Al[(F,OH)
 
3
|PO
 
4
]
8.BL.25Pattersonite
PbFe
3+
3
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
4
{(H
 
2
O)
 
0.5
(OH)
 
0.5
}
 
2
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
22.3.1Parnauite
Cu
 
9
[(OH)
 
10
|SO
 
4
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 7H
 
2
O
22.3.2Ardealite
Ca
 
2
[HPO
 
4
|SO
 
4
] · 4H
 
2
O
22.3.3Machatschkiite
(Ca,Na)
 
6
AsO
 
4
(AsO
 
3
OH)
 
3
(PO
 
4
,SO
 
4
)·15H
 
2
O
22.3.4Clinotyrolite
Ca
 
2
Cu
 
9
[(OH,O)
 
10
|(AsO
 
4
,SO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 10H
 
2
O
22.3.5Peisleyite
Na
 
3
Al
 
16
[SO
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
5
]
 
2
 · 20H
 
2
O
22.3.6Chalcophyllite
Cu
 
18
Al
 
2
[(OH)
 
9
|SO
 
4
|AsO
 
4
]
 
3
 · 33H
 
2
O
22.3.7Woodhouseite
CaAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|PO
 
4
]
22.3.8Schlossmacherite
(H
 
3
O,Ca)Al
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(SO
 
4
,AsO
 
4
)
 
2
]
22.3.9Svanbergite
SrAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|PO
 
4
]
22.3.10Kemmlitzite
(Sr,Ce)Al
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|AsO
 
4
]
22.3.11Sanjuanite
Al
 
2
[OH|SO
 
4
|PO
 
4
] · 9H
 
2
O
22.3.12Kribergite
Al
 
5
[(OH)
 
4
|SO
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
3
] · 4H
 
2
O
22.3.13Hotsonite
Al
 
11
[(OH)
 
21
|(SO
 
4
)
 
3
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 16H
 
2
O
22.3.14Weilerite
22.3.15Tsumebite
Pb
 
2
Cu[OH|SO
 
4
|PO
 
4
]
22.3.16Arsentsumebite
Pb
 
2
Cu[OH|SO
 
4
|AsO
 
4
]
22.3.17Hinsdalite
PbAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|PO
 
4
]
22.3.18Hidalgoite
PbAl
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|AsO
 
4
]
22.3.20Coconinoite
Fe
3+
2
Al
 
2
(UO
 
2
)
 
2
[(OH)
 
2
|SO
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 20H
 
2
O
22.3.21Sasaite
(Al,Fe
3+
 
)
 
14
[(OH)
 
7
|SO
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
11
] · 83H
 
2
O
22.3.22Tristramite
(Ca,U,Fe)(PO
 
4
,SO
 
4
)·2H
 
2
O
22.3.23Corkite
PbFe
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|PO
 
4
]
22.3.24Beudantite
PbFe
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
|AsO
 
4
]
22.3.25Diadochite
Fe
3+
2
(PO
 
4
)(SO
 
4
)(OH)·5H
 
2
O
22.3.26Sarmientite
Fe
3+
2
[OH|SO
 
4
|AsO
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
22.3.27Bukovskýite
Fe
3+
2
[OH|SO
 
4
|AsO
 
4
] · 7H
 
2
O
22.3.28Zýkaite
Fe
3+
4
[OH|SO
 
4
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
] · 15H
 
2
O
22.3.29Tooeleite
Fe
3+
6
(AsO
 
3
)
 
4
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
4
· 4H
 
2
O
22.3.30Pitticite
[Fe, SO
 
4
, AsO
 
4
, H
 
2
O] ?
22.3.31Xiangjiangite
(Fe
3+
 
,Al)(UO
 
2
)
 
4
[OH|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 22H
 
2
O

Other Names for Orpheite

Other Languages:
German:Orpheit
Spanish:Orpheita

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 Orpheite

Reference List:Kolkovski, B. (1971-1972): Ann.Univ.Sofia Fac.Biol.Géol.Géogr., 64, 107-130.

American Mineralogist (1976): 61: 176.

Cotterell, T. & P.K.Todhunter (2007): Corkite and hinsdalite from the Frongoch Mine, Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion, Wales, including evidence to suggest that orpheite is a variety of hinsdalite. J. Russell Society 10, 57-64(2007)

Internet Links for Orpheite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
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    Localities for Orpheite

    (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.
    Bulgaria
     
    • Haskovo Oblast (Khaskovo Oblast)
      • Rhodope Mts
    		Ann.Univ. Sofia, Fac.Geol.Geogr.(1971-1972) 64, 107-130
    USA
     
    • Nevada
      • Humboldt Co.
        • Iron Point District
    		NBMG Spec. Pub. 31 Minerals of Nevada
    Mineral and/or Locality
    Google
     
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