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Veatchite

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Lang Mine (Sterling Mine; Tick Canyon Borax Mine), Los Angeles Co., California, USA
© Caltech

Show Veatchite Photos (2)
Formula:
Sr
 
2
B
 
11
O
 
16
(OH)
 
5
·H
 
2
O
System:MonoclinicColour:Colourless, white
Hardness:2
Name:Named after John A. Veatch, first person to detect boron in the mineral waters of California.
Polymorph of:Veatchite-A, Veatchite-p


Veatchite Group. The monoclinic polymorph of Veatchite-A.

Classification of Veatchite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:5/K.05-30
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:6.EC.15

6 : BORATES
E : Pentaborates
C : Phyllo-pentaborates
Dana 8th edition ID:26.5.9.1

26 : HYDRATED BORATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
5 : Pentaborates
Hey's CIM Ref.:9.3.27

9 : Borates
3 : Borates of Ca and Sr
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Type Occurrence of Veatchite

Type Locality:Sterling Mine, Tick Canyon, Lang, Los Angeles Co., California, USA
General Appearance of Type Material:Cross-fiber veinlets cutting limestone and howlite and as crystals deposited on colemanite.
Year of Discovery:1938
Geological Setting of type material:Limestone and borate deposit.
Associated Minerals at type locality:
HowliteColemanite

Physical Properties of Veatchite

Lustre:Vitreous, Silky, Pearly
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent
Colour:Colourless, white
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):2
Cleavage:Perfect
On {010} perfect; on {001} imperfect.
Density (measured):2.58 - 2.69 g/cm3
Density (calculated):2.59 g/cm3

Crystallography of Veatchite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Cell Parameters:a = 20.81Å, b = 11.74Å, c = 6.63Å
β = 92.03°
Ratio:a:b:c = 1.773 : 1 : 0.565
Unit Cell Volume:V 1,618.75 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:Crystals platy, flattened on {010} and elongated with [001], terraced along [001] and [100]; slender prismatic to fibrous. Grouped as divergent plates and cross-fiber veins.

Optical Data of Veatchite

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.551 nβ = 1.553 nγ = 1.620
2V:Measured: 37° , Calculated: 22°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.069

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Low
Dispersion:r < v strong

Chemical Properties of Veatchite

Formula:
Sr
 
2
B
 
11
O
 
16
(OH)
 
5
·H
 
2
O
Essential elements:B, H, O, Sr
All elements listed in formula:B, H, O, Sr

Relationship of Veatchite to other Species

Related to:
  • Veatchite Group
    • Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

    - +
    6.EC.05Biringuccite
    Na
     
    2
    		B
     
    5
    		O
     
    8
    		(OH)·H
     
    2
    		O
    6.EC.05Nasinite
    Na
     
    4
    		B
     
    10
    		O
     
    17
    		·5H
     
    2
    		O
    6.EC.10Gowerite
    Ca[B
     
    5
    		O
     
    8
    		(OH)][B(OH)
     
    3
    		]·3H
     
    2
    		O
    6.EC.15P-Veatchite
    6.EC.20Volkovskite
    KCa
     
    4
    		[B
     
    5
    		O
     
    8
    		OH]
     
    4
    		[B(OH)
     
    3
    		]
     
    2
    		Cl·4H
     
    2
    		O
    6.EC.25Tuzlaite
    NaCaB
     
    5
    		O
     
    8
    		(OH)
     
    2
    		·3H
     
    2
    		O
    6.EC.30Heidornite
    Na
     
    2
    		Ca
     
    3
    		B
     
    5
    		O
     
    8
    		(SO
     
    4
    		)
     
    2
    		Cl(OH)
     
    2
    6.EC.35Brianroulstonite
    Ca
     
    3
    		[B
     
    5
    		O
     
    6
    		(OH)
     
    6
    		](OH)Cl
     
    2
    		·8H
     
    2
    		O
    Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

    - +
    9.3.1Calciborite
    Ca[B
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    		]
    9.3.2Sibirskite
    Ca
     
    2
    		[B
     
    2
    		O
     
    5
    		] · H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.3Fabianite
    CaB
     
    3
    		O
     
    5
    		OH
    9.3.4Uralborite
    Ca
     
    2
    		[B
     
    3
    		O
     
    3
    		(OH)
     
    5
    		·OB(OH)
     
    3
    		]
    9.3.5Vimsite
    CaB
     
    2
    		O
     
    2
    		(OH)
     
    4
    9.3.6Olshanskyite
    Ca
     
    3
    		[OH|{B(OH)
     
    4
    		}
     
    2
    		]
     
    2
    9.3.7Frolovite
    Ca[B(OH)
     
    4
    		]
     
    2
    9.3.8Korzhinskite
    CaB
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    		·H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.9Tyretskite
    Ca
     
    2
    		B
     
    5
    		O
     
    9
    		OH·H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.10Nifontovite
    CaB
     
    2
    		O
     
    4
    		·2.3H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.12Inyoite
    Ca(H
     
    4
    		B
     
    3
    		O
     
    7
    		)(OH) · 4H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.13Gowerite
    Ca[B
     
    5
    		O
     
    8
    		(OH)][B(OH)
     
    3
    		]·3H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.14Colemanite
    Ca[B
     
    3
    		O
     
    4
    		(OH)
     
    3
    		] · H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.15Pentahydroborite
    CaB
     
    2
    		O(OH)
     
    6
    		 · 2H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.16Hexahydroborite
    Ca[B(OH)
     
    4
    		]
     
    2
    		 · 6H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.17Meyerhofferite
    Ca
     
    2
    		(H
     
    3
    		B
     
    3
    		O
     
    7
    		)
     
    2
    		 · 4H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.18Priceite
    Ca
     
    2
    		B
     
    5
    		O
     
    7
    		(OH)
     
    5
    		·H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.19Ginorite
    Ca
     
    2
    		B
     
    14
    		O
     
    23
    		·8H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.20Probertite
    NaCaB
     
    5
    		O
     
    7
    		(OH)
     
    4
    		·3H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.21Ulexite
    NaCa[B
     
    5
    		O
     
    6
    		(OH)
     
    6
    		] · 5H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.22Hydroboracite
    CaMg[B
     
    3
    		O
     
    4
    		(OH)
     
    3
    		]
     
    2
    		 · 3H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.23Inderborite
    CaMg(H
     
    3
    		B
     
    3
    		O
     
    7
    		)
     
    2
    		 · 8H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.24Wardsmithite
    Ca
     
    5
    		Mg[B
     
    4
    		O
     
    7
    		]
     
    6
    		 · 30H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.25Henmilite
    Ca
     
    2
    		Cu[(OH)
     
    2
    		|B(OH)
     
    4
    		]
     
    2
    9.3.26Strontioborite
    SrB
     
    8
    		O
     
    11
    		(OH)
     
    4
    9.3.28Veatchite-A
    Sr
     
    2
    		B
     
    11
    		O
     
    16
    		(OH)
     
    5
    		·H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.29 P-Veatchite
    9.3.30 Balavinskite
    Sr
     
    2
    		B
     
    6
    		O
     
    11
    		·4H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.31Tunellite
    SrB
     
    6
    		O
     
    9
    		(OH)
     
    2
    		·3H
     
    2
    		O
    9.3.32Strontioginorite
    (Sr,Ca)
     
    2
    		B
     
    14
    		O
     
    23
    		·8H
     
    2
    		O

    Other Names for Veatchite

    Other Languages:
    German:Veatchit
    Russian:Витчит
    Spanish:Veatchita

    Polytypes for Veatchite

    Polytypes:
    Veatchite-A

    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 Veatchite

    Reference List:Switzer, George S. (1938), Veatchite, a new calcium borate from Lang, California: American Mineralogist: 23: 409-411.

    Murdoch, Joseph (1939), Crystallography of veatchite: American Mineralogist: 24: 130-135.

    Switzer, George S. & W.W. Brannock (1950), Composition of veatchite: American Mineralogist: 35: 90-92.

    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: 348-349.

    Kramer H.C., Allen R.D. (1956), A restudy of bakerite, priceite, and veatchite, American Mineralogist: 41: 689-700.

    Clark, Joan R., M.E. Mrose, A. Perloff & G. Burley (1959), Investigation of veatchite in studies of borate minerals VI: American Mineralogist: 44: 1141-1149.

    Clark, Joan R. & M.E. Mrose (1960), Veatchite and p-veatchite: American Mineralogist: 45: 1221-1229.

    Clark, Joan R. & C.L. Christ (1971), Veatchite: crystal structure and coordination with p-veatchite: American Mineralogist: 56: 1934-1954.

    Canadian Mineralogist (1999): 37: 731-762.

    Grew, E.S., and Anovitz, L.M. (1996) BORON: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry, second edition, as revised (2002).

    Internet Links for Veatchite

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

    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.
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    (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
     
    • New Brunswick
      • Kings Co.
        • Sussex
          • Cardwell Parish
    		CM 43, 1469-1487
    Serbia
     
    • Jarandol Basin
      • Balevats
    		S. V. Malinko et al.: New Data on Minerals 39:26-31 (200)
    Turkey
     
    • Aegean Region
      • Kütahya Province
    		[var: Veatchite-A]
    USA
     
    • California
      • Inyo Co.
        • Death Valley
          • Furnace Creek District
    		Mineralogical Record: 27: 35-40.
      • Kern Co.
        • Kramer District
          • Boron
      • Los Angeles Co.
        • Lang
          • Tick Canyon
    		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: 349.
      • San Bernardino Co.
    		Am Min 49:543-555
    Mineral and/or Locality
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