Zinc
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Zinc
Formula:
Zn
Colour:
White metallic
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
2
Specific Gravity:
6.9 - 7.2
Crystal System:
Hexagonal
Name:
Named around 1526 by Swiss alchemist Paracelsus (1493-1541) after the German "Zinke", "pointy object, fork tooth, comb-tooth", in allusion to its pointy habit in melting ovens.
Zinc Group.
As mm-sized irregular plates with cross-hatched striations and hummocky surfaces. A single particle from the Lunar regolith is ca. 1 micron in diameter.
Note: most of the localities listed here, notably those with "slag" or "smelter" in their names, are almost certainly not localities for "native zinc", but are rather localities for post-mining/anthropogenic zinc. As such, photos of zinc from these localities again are almost certainly showing examples of an artificial product and not of a natural mineral.
As mm-sized irregular plates with cross-hatched striations and hummocky surfaces. A single particle from the Lunar regolith is ca. 1 micron in diameter.
Note: most of the localities listed here, notably those with "slag" or "smelter" in their names, are almost certainly not localities for "native zinc", but are rather localities for post-mining/anthropogenic zinc. As such, photos of zinc from these localities again are almost certainly showing examples of an artificial product and not of a natural mineral.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
4405
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:4405:5
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
3e6ee518-0841-4ee9-b90d-061a21865c4d
IMA Classification of Zinc
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
Classification of Zinc
1.AB.05
1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
A : Metals and Intermetallic Alloys
B : Zinc-brass family
1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
A : Metals and Intermetallic Alloys
B : Zinc-brass family
Dana 7th ed.:
1.1.8.1
1.1.5.1
1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
1 : Metals, other than the Platinum Group
1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
1 : Metals, other than the Platinum Group
1.8
1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)
1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Zn | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Zinc
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
White metallic
Streak:
Slightly greyish
Hardness:
2 on Mohs scale
Hardness Data:
Measured
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Perfect
perfect on 0001
perfect on 0001
Fracture:
Hackly
Density:
6.9 - 7.2 g/cm3 (Measured) 7.135 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Chemistry of Zinc
Mindat Formula:
Zn
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
Sn,Pb,Cd,Fe,Mn,B,Si,Cu,Ag,Ca,Ba
Crystallography of Zinc
Crystal System:
Hexagonal
Class (H-M):
6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) - Dihexagonal Dipyramidal
Space Group:
P63/mmc
Cell Parameters:
a = 2.665 Å, c = 4.947 Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 1.856
Unit Cell V:
30.43 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2
Crystal Structure
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2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0011200 | Zinc | Wyckoff R W G (1963) Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York Hexagonal closest packed, hcp, structure Crystal Structures 1 7-83 | 1963 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0012940 | Zinc | Jette E R, Foote F (1935) Precision determination of lattice constants Journal of Chemical Physics 3 605-616 | 1935 | synthetic | 0 | 298 | |
| 0015115 | Zinc | Hull A W, Davey W P (1921) Graphical determination of hexagonal and tetragonal crystal structures from X-ray data Physical Review 17 549-570 | 1921 | synthetic | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.091 Å | (100) |
| 2.473 Å | (3) |
| 2.308 Å | (40) |
| 1.687 Å | (28) |
| 1.342 Å | (25) |
| 1.1729 Å | (23) |
| 1.332 Å | (21) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 3a: Earth’s earliest Hadean crust | >4.50 |
| 8 : Mafic igneous rocks | |
| 11 : Volcanic fumarole minerals; reduced phases (see also #45) | |
| Near-surface Processes | |
| 26 : Hadean detrital minerals | |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 36 : Carbonatites, kimberlites, and related igneous rocks | |
| Stage 5: Initiation of plate tectonics | <3.5-2.5 |
| 38 : Ophiolites | |
| Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event | <2.4 |
| 47h : [Near-surface oxidized, dehydrated minerals] | |
| Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals | <10 Ka |
| 56 : Slag and smelter minerals (see also #51 and #55) |
Geological Setting:
In permafrost at Elsa Mine
Type Occurrence of Zinc
Synonyms of Zinc
Other Language Names for Zinc
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 1.AB. | Magnesium | Mg |
| 1.AB.05 | Cadmium | Cd |
| 1.AB.05 | Rhenium | Re |
| 1.AB.05 | Titanium | Ti |
| 1.AB.10b | Danbaite | CuZn2 |
| 1.AB.10a | Zhanghengite | CuZn |
| 1.AB.10a | α-Brass | Cu3Zn |
| 1.AB.10b | Tongxinite | Cu2Zn |
| 1.AB.10a | Zinccopperite | Cu7Zn4 (?) |
| 1.AB.10 | UM2003-03-E:AgAuCuZn | (Cu,Au,Ag)4Zn |
| 1.AB.10 | UM1980-01-E:CuZn | Cu3Zn |
| 1.AB.10 | UM1980-02-E:CuZn | Cu4.45Zn |
Fluorescence of Zinc
none
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:
Galvanising
Internet Links for Zinc
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-4405.html
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External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
References for Zinc
Localities for Zinc
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Atlantic Ocean | |
| Sharkov et al. (2007) |
Australia | |
| Bottrill et al. (2008) |
| Aust Jnl Mineralogy 7 (1) |
| Thompson |
Austria | |
| Lapis 19 (7/8) |
Belarus | |
| Levitskiy et al. (2018, July) |
Belgium | |
| |
| Blaß et al. (1995b) |
Brazil | |
| Teixeira (2014) |
Canada | |
| Christian Bracke Collection |
| Dawson Creek +1 other reference |
| Boyle (1961) |
| Dawson Creek +1 other reference | |
Chile (TL) | |
| Am Min 55:5-6 pp 1019-1021 |
China | |
| Peters et al. (2007) |
| Shao Dianxin et al. (1984) |
| Meng et al. (2022) |
| Zexian Xu et al. (1987) |
| Xingjie Jia et al. (2012) |
| Wenji Bai et al. (2001) |
| Minqing Cheng et al. (1993) |
| Zhaochong Zhang et al. (2006) |
France | |
| Ducluzaux B. (2022) |
Georgia | |
Germany | |
| Blessing et al. (1991) |
| Detlef Heilwagen collection |
| C.Auer (2017) |
| C.Auer (2021) |
| Schnorrer-Köhler (1988) | |
| D. Pawlowski: "Mineralfundstellen im Sauerland" (Munich) |
| www.mg-mineralien-fossilien.de (n.d.) +1 other reference |
| Blaß et al. (1995) |
| Joan Rosell |
Greece | |
| M. Grossou-Valta et al. (1990) |
Guinea | |
| Pavel.M. Kartashov (n.d.) |
Italy | |
| Exel (1987) |
Japan | |
| Nishida (1994) |
| Nishida (1994) |
Kazakhstan | |
| Tony Nikischer |
Mongolia | |
| Pavel.M. Kartashov (n.d.) |
Norway | |
| |
Pacific Ocean | |
| Astakhova et al. (2014) |
| Astakhova et al. (2014) | |
| Astakhova et al. (2014) | |
Poland | |
| Krzyżanowski (2008) |
Russia | |
| forum.catalogmineralov.ru (n.d.) |
| Anthony et al. (1990) |
| Mandarino (2000) |
| Sidorov et al. (2018) |
| Gordeev et al. (2014, January) |
| Karpov et al. (2010) |
| Active Volcanoes of Kamchatka |
| Filimonova et al. (2008) |
| Geologiya Rudnykh Mestorozhdenii | |
| Molchanov et al. (2011) |
| Anthony et al. (2016) |
| Pekov (1998) |
| Koval'skii et al. (1985) +1 other reference |
| Trunilina et al. (2015) | |
| Kozlov et al. (2011) |
| Cherkasova et al. (2014, August) |
UK | |
| Norman Wilson collection |
Ukraine | |
| Rappenglück (2022) | |
| Yatsenko et al. (2020) |
USA | |
| Fairbanks (1893) +1 other reference |
The Moon | |
| Mokhov A.V. et al. (2007) |
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Bagui village, Bafing river basin, Dinguiraye Prefecture, Faranah Region, Guinea