Mindat Logo
Home Page Log In Messageboard The Mindat Directory
Register Search Pages Mineral Chatroom The Mindat Store

Rosasite

This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
Big Photo

Rohdenhaus Quarry (incl. Krieger Quarry), Rohdenhaus, Wülfrath, Niederberg area, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
© Harjo

Show Rosasite Photos (625)



Formula:
(Cu,Zn)
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
System:MonoclinicColour:Blue, blue-green to ...
Hardness:4½
Member of:Rosasite Group
Name:
Named after its discovery locality, the Rosas Mine, Sulcis, Sardinia, Italy.


Rosasite Group.

Rosasite is a secondary mineral found in the oxidation zone of copper-zinc deposits. Cu:Zn ratio is near 3:2

Classification of Rosasite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:5/C.01-80
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:5.BA.10

5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
B : Carbonates with additional anions, without H2O
A : With Cu, Co, Ni, Zn, Mg, Mn
Dana 8th edition ID:16a.3.1.2

16a : ANHYDROUS CARBONATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
3 : (AB)2(XO3)Zq
Hey's CIM Ref.:11.6.3

11 : Carbonates
6 : Carbonates of Zn and Cd
mindat.org URL:http://www.mindat.org/min-3447.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

Type Occurrence of Rosasite

Type Locality:Rosas Mine, Narcao, Carbonia-Iglesias Province, Sardinia, Italy
Place of Conservation of Type Material:Natural History Museum, Paris, France
Year of Discovery:1908
Geological Setting of type material:In the oxidised zone of a Zn-Cu deposit.
Associated Minerals at type locality:
SideriteMalachiteGreenockiteBrochantiteAurichalcite

Physical Properties of Rosasite

Lustre:Vitreous, Silky
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Translucent
Colour:Blue, blue-green to green, sky-blue; colourless to light blue in transmitted light.
Streak:Light blue
Hardness (Mohs):4½
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Distinct/Good
In two directions at right angles.
Density (measured):4 - 4.2 g/cm3
Density (calculated):4.15 g/cm3

Crystallography of Rosasite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:P21/b {P1 1 21/b} {P21/c} {P1 21/c 1} {P21/a}
Cell Parameters:a = 12.873(3) Å, b = 9.354(3) Å, c = 3.156(2) Å
β = 110.36(3)°
Ratio:a:b:c = 1.376 : 1 : 0.337
Unit Cell Volume:V 356.28 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Occurs as mammilary, botryoidal or veruginous crusts with a fibrous to spherulitic structure.
Twinning:On {100}.
Comment:Space group P21/a.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Rosasite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.672 - 1.688 nβ = 1.796 - 1.830 nγ = 1.811 - 1.831
2V:Measured: 33° (5), Calculated: 36°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.139 - 0.143

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Very High
Dispersion:r > v strong
Pleochroism:Strong
Comments:X = Pale emerald green or Colourless
Y = Dark emerald green or Pale blue
Z = Dark emerald green or Pale blue

Chemical Properties of Rosasite

Formula:
(Cu,Zn)
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
Essential elements:C, Cu, H, O
All elements listed in formula:C, Cu, H, O, Zn
Common Impurities:Mg,Fe

Relationship of Rosasite to other Species

Member of:Rosasite Group
Other Members of Group:

- +
Glaukosphaerite
(Cu,Ni)
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
Mcguinnessite
(Mg,Cu)
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
Parádsasvárite
Zn
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
Pokrovskite
Mg
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
Zincrosasite
(Zn,Cu)
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
5.BA.05Azurite
Cu
 
3
(CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
2
5.BA.10Georgeite
Cu
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
 · 6H
 
2
O
5.BA.10Glaukosphaerite
(Cu,Ni)
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
5.BA.10Kolwezite
(Cu,Co)
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
5.BA.10Malachite
Cu
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
5.BA.10Mcguinnessite
(Mg,Cu)
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
5.BA.10Nullaginite
Ni
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
5.BA.10Pokrovskite
Mg
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
5.BA.10Zincrosasite
(Zn,Cu)
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
5.BA.10Chukanovite
Fe
2+
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
5.BA.15Aurichalcite
(Zn,Cu)
 
5
(CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
5.BA.15Hydrozincite
Zn
 
5
(CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
5.BA.20Holdawayite
Mn
 
6
(CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
7
(Cl,OH)
5.BA.25Defernite
Ca
 
6
(CO
 
3
)
 
2-x
(SiO
 
4
)
 
x
(OH)
 
7
(Cl,OH)
 
1-2x
 (x=0.5)
5.BA.25UM1977-03-COSiO:CaClH
Ca
 
10
(SiO
 
4
)(CO
 
3
)
 
7
(Cl,OH)
 
2
5.BA.30Loseyite
(Zn,Mn
2+
 
)
 
7
(CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
10
5.BA.30Sclarite
(Zn,Mg,Mn
2+
 
)
 
4
Zn
 
3
(CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
10
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
11.6.1Smithsonite
ZnCO
 
3
11.6.2Hydrozincite
Zn
 
5
(CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
11.6.4Zincrosasite
(Zn,Cu)
 
2
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
2
11.6.5Aurichalcite
(Zn,Cu)
 
5
(CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
11.6.6Claraite
(Cu,Zn)
 
3
(CO
 
3
)(OH)
 
4
 · 4H
 
2
O
11.6.7Minrecordite
CaZn(CO
 
3
)
 
2
11.6.8Loseyite
(Zn,Mn
2+
 
)
 
7
(CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
10
11.6.9Sclarite
(Zn,Mg,Mn
2+
 
)
 
4
Zn
 
3
(CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
10
11.6.10Otavite
CdCO
 
3

Other Names for Rosasite

Synonyms:
Parauricalcite-I
Other Languages:
German:Rosasit
Simplified Chinese:斜方绿铜锌矿
Spanish:Rosasita
Varieties:
Nickeloan Rosasite

Other Information

Other Information:Soluble in 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 Rosasite

Reference List:

- +
Lovisato (1908) Reale accademia nazionale dei Lincei, Rend. Rome: 17: 723.

Biehl (1921) Mineral Abstracts: 1: 202 (as Paraurichalcite-I).

Perrier (1921) Reale accademia nazionale dei Lincei, Rend., Rome: 30(5): 119.

Barth and Berman (1930) Chemie der Erde, Jena: 5: 22.

Lauro, C. (1937) Sulla presenza della parauricalcite I nella miniera di Rosas (Sulcis). Periodico di Mineralogia – Roma pp. 151-160.

Lauro, C. (1938) Periodico de Mineralogia-Roma: 9: 105.

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: Halides, Nitrates, Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates, Phosphates, Arsenates, Tungstates, Molybdates, Etc. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 251-252.

Roberts, A. C., Jambor, J. L., Grice, J. D. (1986): The X-ray crystallography of rosasite from Tsumeb, Namibia. Powder Diffraction, 1, 56-57.

American Mineralogist (1987): 72: 1028.

Anthony, J.W., Bideaux, R.A., Bladh, K.W., and Nichols, M.C. (2003) Handbook of Mineralogy, Volume V. Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates. Mineral Data Publishing, Tucson, AZ, 813pp.: 596.

Perchiazzi, N. (2004). EPDIC European Powder diffraction conference Praha 2004, 11, 76.

Perchiazzi, N. (2006): Crystal structure determination and Rietveld refinement of rosasite and mcguinnessite. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Suppl. No. 23, 505-510. [http://www.atypon-link.com/OLD/doi/pdf/10.1524/zksu.2006.suppl_23.505 [Link Broken? May 2013]]

Internet Links for Rosasite

Search Engines:
  • Look for Rosasite on Google
  • Look for Rosasite images on Google
    • External Links:
  • Look for Rosasite on Webmineral
  • Look for Rosasite on Athena Mineralogy
  • Look for Rosasite on Wikipedia
  • Look for Rosasite on Mineralien Atlas
  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Rosasite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
    • Mineral Dealers:
  • Find Rosasite on www.crystalclassics.co.uk
  • The Arkenstone - Fine Minerals
  • Rare and Unusual minerals at Mineralogical Research Company
  • Top quality minerals from Kristalle of California
  • webminerals
  • Search for - Rosasite - on e-Rocks Mineral Sales & Auctions
  • Search for minerals at Heliodor
  • DAKOTA MATRIX offers Cabinet and Rare Species from Worldwide Localities.
  • Buy fine minerals and gemstones from Pala International
  • High-end worldwide specimens & outstanding customer service
  • Fine Minerals from Weinrich Minerals, Inc.
  • Buy minerals from YourMineralCollection
    • Specimens:The following Rosasite specimens are currently listed for sale on minfind.com.
    Jobs:
  • Mining & Geology Jobs

    • Localities for Rosasite

    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.
    Show Locality List (409 Items)
    Mineral and/or Locality
    Search Google
     
    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.
    Current server date and time: 7th May 2013 11:22:32
    Mineral and Locality Search
    Mineral:
    and/or Locality:
    Options
    Fade toolbar when not in focusFix toolbar to bottom of page
    Hide Social Media Links
    Slideshow frame delay seconds
    Locality Updated: Lafayette Mine (Lafayette Quartz Mine; Lafayette Extension Mine), Hunter Valley Mountain, Hunter Valley District, West Belt, Mariposa Co., California, USAFrom Chester S. Lemanski, Jr., 21st May 2013 14:30:41