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Forêtite

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Cap Garonne Mine, Le Pradet, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

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Formula:
Cu
 
2
Al
 
2
(AsO
 
4
)(OH,O,H
 
2
O)
 
6
System:TriclinicColour:Pale blue
Hardness:3 - 4
Name:
The mineral is named in honour of Dr Jean-Paul Forêt (b. 1943), retired engineer of the French Ministry of Equipment, who worked as geologist-in-charge of major risks and the environment. He was a co-founder of the project which turned the Cap Garonne mine into a nationally protected site and museum in 1994 (Musée de la Mine de Cap Garonne), and has acted as a scientific advisor to the museum from then until now.


Pale blue microcrystalline mineral forming tiny globules and thin crusts.

Originally described as an "Unnamed (Cu-Al Arsenate)" (Chiappero, 1993), then approved in 2012 using new material (Mills et al., 2012).

Visually similar to pale blue (Cu-bearing) crandallite-group minerals.

Classification of Forêtite

IMA status:Approved 2012
mindat.org URL:http://www.mindat.org/min-42728.html
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Type Occurrence of Forêtite

Type Locality:Cap Garonne Mine, Le Pradet, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Place of Conservation of Type Material:Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, USA, catalogue numbers 63573, 63574, 63575, 63576 and 63577
Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, registration number M51746
Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France, catalogue 211.5
Year of Discovery:late

Physical Properties of Forêtite

Lustre:Vitreous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:Pale blue
Hardness (Mohs):3 - 4
Hardness Data:Estimated
Tenacity:Brittle
Density (calculated):3.286 g/cm3

Crystallography of Forêtite

Crystal System:Triclinic
Class (H-M):1 - Pinacoidal
Space Group:P1
Space Group Setting:P1
Cell Parameters:a = 6.969(9) Å, b = 7.676(9) Å, c = 8.591(11) Å
α = 82.01(9)°, β = 71.68(8)°, γ = 102.68(8)°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.908 : 1 : 1.119
Unit Cell Volume:V 414.76 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Comment:New structure type
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
7.307(100)
4.519(23)
4.277(18)
3.455(17)
3.141(24)
2.818(24)
2.719(20)
2.343(22)

Optical Data of Forêtite

Type:Biaxial

Chemical Properties of Forêtite

Formula:
Cu
 
2
Al
 
2
(AsO
 
4
)(OH,O,H
 
2
O)
 
6
Essential elements:Al, As, Cu, H, O
All elements listed in formula:Al, As, Cu, H, O

Other Names for Forêtite

Synonyms:
IMA2011-100Unnamed (Cu-Al Arsenate)
Other Languages:

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 Forêtite

Reference List:

- +
Chiappero, P.-J. (1993): Les arséniates de cuivre naturels: Systématique et approche des conditions de genèse par les synthèses. Applications au gisement plumbocuprifère de Cap Garonne (Var, France). - Thèse de Doctorat, Université d'Orléans, 293 pp. [phase "X2", pp. 141-144]

Kolitsch (unpubl. data, 2009)

Mills, S.J., Kampf, A.R., McDonald, A.M., Favreau, G., Chiappero, P.-J. (2012) Forêtite, IMA 2011-100. CNMNC Newsletter No. 13, June 2012, page 809; Mineralogical Magazine, 76, 807-817.

Mills, S.J., Kampf, A.R., McDonald, A.M., Favreau, G., Chiappero, P.-J. (2012) Forêtite, a new secondary arsenate mineral from the Cap Garonne mine, France. Mineralogical Magazine, 76, 769-777.



Internet Links for Forêtite

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    • Localities for Forêtite

    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.
    France
     
    • Languedoc-Roussillon
      • Aude
        • Carcassonne
          • Mas-Cabardès
            • Salsigne
    		Mills, S.J., Kampf, A.R., McDonald, A.M., Favreau, G., Chiappero, P.-J. (2012) Forêtite, a new secondary arsenate mineral from the Cap Garonne mine, France. Mineralogical Magazine, 76, 769-777.
    • Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
      • Var
        • Le Pradet
    		Mills, S.J., Kampf, A.R., McDonald, A.M., Favreau, G., Chiappero, P.-J. (2012) Forêtite, a new secondary arsenate mineral from the Cap Garonne mine, France. Mineralogical Magazine, 76, 769-777.
    Jean-Marie Claude collection (found 1980)
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