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Spencerite

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Hudson Bay Mine (H.B. Mine), Salmo, Nelson Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada
© Paul Bongaerts

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Formula:
Zn
 
4
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O
System:MonoclinicColour:White, light green; ...
Lustre:Vitreous, PearlyHardness:3
Name:Named after Leonard James Spencer (1870-1959), Keeper of Minerals, British Museum of Natural History (London)


An uncommon secondary mineral occurring in some zinc-bearing hydrothermal deposits.

Classification of Spencerite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:7/D.07-60
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:8.DA.40

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
D : Phosphates, etc. with additional anions, with H2O
A : With small (and occasionally larger) cations
Dana 8th edition ID:42.6.4.2

42 : HYDRATED PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
6 : A2(XO4)Zq·xH2O
Hey's CIM Ref.:19.6.2

19 : Phosphates
6 : Phosphates of Zn
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Type Occurrence of Spencerite

Type Locality:Hudson Bay Mine (H.B. Mine), Salmo, Nelson Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada
Place of Conservation of Type Material:Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Toronto, Canada: M9602, M9610, M9691, M9726. The Natural History Museum, London, England. Natural History Museum, Paris, France: 120.22. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: 98956. National Museum of Natural Histo
Year of Discovery:1916
Geological Setting of type material:Cave in oxidized zinc ore.
Associated Minerals at type locality:
HopeiteHopeiteHemimorphite

Physical Properties of Spencerite

Lustre:Vitreous, Pearly
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Comment:Lustre pearly on cleavages.
Colour:White, light green; colourless in transmitted light.
Hardness (Mohs):3
Cleavage:Perfect
On {100}, perfect; on {010}, good; on {001}, distinct.
Density (measured):3.123 - 3.145 g/cm3
Density (calculated):3.282 g/cm3

Crystallography of Spencerite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:P2/b {P1 1 2/b} {P2/c} {P1 2/c 1}{P2/a}
Cell Parameters:a = 10.43Å, b = 5.27Å, c = 11.19Å
β = 116.8°
Ratio:a:b:c = 1.979 : 1 : 2.123
Unit Cell Volume:V 549.00 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:Pseudo-orthorhombic. Crystals elongated [001], tabular on {100}, terminations commonly blunt and rectabgular with {102}, {001}, and {101}; lance-like at times with large {121} and {221}, with numerous additional forms. Commonly with a columnar to platy structure, stalactitic, massive.
Twinning:Polysynthetic. Twin and composition plane {100}. The twinning results in {h0l being striated [010].
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

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

Optical Data of Spencerite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.586 nβ = 1.602 nγ = 1.606
2V:Measured: 49°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.020

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 Spencerite

Formula:
Zn
 
4
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O
Essential elements:H, O, P, Zn
All elements listed in formula:H, O, P, Zn

Relationship of Spencerite to other Species

Common Associates:
SmithsoniteHopeiteHemimorphiteCerussite
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
8.DA.05Bearsite
Be
 
2
[OH|AsO
 
4
] · 4H
 
2
O
8.DA.05Moraesite
Be
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
] · 4H
 
2
O
8.DA.10Roscherite
Ca
 
2
(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
)
 
5
Be
 
4
[(OH)
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
6
] · 6H
 
2
O
8.DA.10Zanazziite
Ca
 
2
(Mg,Fe)(Mg,Fe,Al)
 
4
Be
 
4
[(OH)
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
6
] · 6H
 
2
O
8.DA.10Greifensteinite
Ca
 
2
(Fe
2+
 
, Mn)
 
5
Be
 
4
[(OH)
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
6
] · 6H
 
2
O
8.DA.10Atencioite
Ca
 
2
Fe
2+
 
Mg
 
2
Fe
2+
2
Be
 
4
[(OH)
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
6
] · 6H
 
2
O
8.DA.10Ruifrancoite
Ca
 
2
[ ]
 
2
(Fe
3+
 
,Mn
2+
 
,Mg)
 
4
Be
 
4
(PO
 
4
)
 
6
(OH)
 
4
(OH,H
 
2
O)
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DA.10Guimarãesite
Ca
 
2
(Zn,Mg,Fe
2+
 
)
 
5
Be
 
4
[(OH)
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
6
] · 6H
 
2
O
8.DA.10Footemineite
Ca
 
2
Mn
2+
 
Mn
2+
2
Mn
2+
2
Be
 
4
(PO
 
4
)
 
6
(OH)
 
4
 · 6H
 
2
O
8.DA.15Uralolite
Ca
 
2
Be
 
4
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
3
 · 5H
 
2
O
8.DA.20Weinebeneite
CaBe
 
3
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
8.DA.25Tiptopite
K
 
2
(Na,Ca)
 
2
Li
 
3
Be
 
6
[OH|(PO
 
4
)
 
3
]
 
2
 · H
 
2
O
8.DA.30Veszelyite
(Cu,Zn)
 
2
Zn(PO
 
4
)
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
8.DA.35Kipushite
(Cu,Zn)
 
5
Zn[(OH)
 
3
|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · H
 
2
O
8.DA.35Philipsburgite
(Cu,Zn)
 
6
[(OH)
 
3
|(AsO
 
4
,PO
 
4
)]
 
2
 · H
 
2
O
8.DA.45Glucine
CaBe
 
4
[(OH)
 
2
|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 0.5H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
19.6.1Tarbuttite
Zn
 
2
[OH|PO
 
4
]
19.6.3Hopeite
Zn
 
3
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
19.6.4Parahopeite
Zn
 
3
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O
19.6.5Veszelyite
(Cu,Zn)
 
2
Zn(PO
 
4
)
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
19.6.6Kipushite
(Cu,Zn)
 
5
Zn[(OH)
 
3
|PO
 
4
]
 
2
 · H
 
2
O
19.6.7Scholzite
CaZn
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
19.6.8Parascholzite
CaZn
 
2
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
19.6.9Ehrleite
Ca
 
4
Be
 
3
Zn
 
2
[PO
 
4
]
 
6
 · 9H
 
2
O
19.6.10Faustite
(Zn,Cu)Al
 
6
[(OH)
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
19.6.11Aheylite
(Fe
2+
 
,Zn)Al
 
6
[(OH)
 
4
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
 
2
 · 4H
 
2
O
19.6.12Jungite
Ca
 
2
Zn
 
4
Fe
3+
8
[OH|PO
 
4
]
 
9
 · 16H
 
2
O
19.6.13Schoonerite
ZnMn
2+
 
Fe
2+
2
Fe
3+
 
(PO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH)
 
2
 · 9H
 
2
O
19.6.14Phosphophyllite
Zn
 
2
Fe(PO
 
4
)
 
2
·4H
 
2
O

Other Names for Spencerite

Synonyms:
Lusitanite (of Walker)Spencerite (of Walker)
Other Languages:
German:Spencerit
Russian:Спенсерит
Spanish:Spencerita

Other Information

Other Information:Readily 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 Spencerite

Reference List:Phillips (1916) American Journal of Science: 42: 275.

Walker (1916) Mineralogical Magazine: 18: 76-83.

Walker (1917) Journal of the Washington Academy of Science: 7: 456.

Walker (1918) University of Toronto Stud., Geology Series, no. 10: 5.

Walker and Parsons (1921) University of Toronto Stud., Geology Series: 58.

Larsen, E.S. and Berman, H. (1934) The Microscopic Determination of the Nonopaque Minerals, Second edition, USGS Bulletin 848: 167.

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. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged, 1124 pp.: 931-933.

Fanfani, L., A. Nunzi, and P.F. Zanazzi (1972) Structure and twinning in spencerite. Mineralogical Magazine: 38: 687-692.

Canadian Mineralogist (1994): 32: 365.

Internet Links for Spencerite

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

    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.
    Canada
     
    • British Columbia
      • Nelson Mining Division
        • Salmo
    		Nature (1916): 97, 375; Mineralogical Magazine (1917): 18, 76-83; 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: 734, 933.
    UK
     
    • England
      • North Yorkshire
        • North Pennines
          • Wharfedale
            • Grassington
              • Grassington Moor
    		Dunham, Sir K. C. Geology of the North Pennine Orefield, Volume 2 Stainmore to Craven (2nd Edition), pp 199.
    Zambia
     
    • Central Province
      • Kabwe (Broken Hill)
    		Braithwaite R.S.W., Spencerite from Kabwe, Zambia, and the infrared spectroscopy of Kabwe zinc phosphates, MinMag, March 1988, vol.82, pp.126-9.
    Mineral and/or Locality
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