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Bechererite

Big Photo

Frongoch Mine (Bron-y-Goch Mine; Llawynwnwch Mine), Pontrhydygroes, Upper Llanfihangell-y-Creuddyn, Ceredigion (Dyfed; Cardiganshire), Wales, UK
© Steve Rust

Show Bechererite Photos (22)
Formula:
(Zn,Cu)
 
6
Zn
 
2
[(OH)
 
12
|(SO
 
4
,HSiO
 
4
)
 
2
]
System:TrigonalColour:Light green, Ice Blue, ...
Lustre:VitreousHardness:2 - 3
Name:Named in honour of Dr. Karl Becherer (b. 1926), mineralogist at the University of Vienna, Austria.
This page provides mineralogical data about Bechererite.

Classification of Bechererite

IMA status:Approved 1994
Strunz 8th edition ID:6/D.08-05
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:7.DD.55

7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
D : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, with H2O
D : With only medium-sized cations; sheets of edge-sharing octahedra
Dana 7th edition ID:4.0.0.0
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Type Occurrence of Bechererite

Type Locality:Tonopah-Belmont Mine (East Vulture Mine; Belmont-McNeil Mine; Economy Mining Co. Mine), Belmont Mountain, Tonopah, Osborn District, Big Horn Mts, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA

Physical Properties of Bechererite

Lustre:Vitreous
Colour:Light green, Ice Blue, Colourless
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):2 - 3

Crystallography of Bechererite

Crystal System:Trigonal
Class (H-M):3 - Pyramidal
Space Group:P3
Cell Parameters:a = 8.319(2) Å, c = 7.377(1) Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 0.887
Unit Cell Volume:V 442.13 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:1
Morphology:Hemimorphic elongate trigonal pyramids.

Optical Data of Bechererite

Type:Uniaxial (-)
RI values: nω = 1.705 nε = 1.611
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.094

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Moderate

Chemical Properties of Bechererite

Formula:
(Zn,Cu)
 
6
Zn
 
2
[(OH)
 
12
|(SO
 
4
,HSiO
 
4
)
 
2
]
Essential elements:H, O, S, Zn
All elements listed in formula:Cu, H, O, S, Si, Zn

Relationship of Bechererite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
7.DD.05Felsőbányaite
Al
 
4
[(OH)
 
10
|SO
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
7.DD.10Langite
Cu
 
4
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
] · 2H
 
2
O
7.DD.10Posnjakite
Cu
 
4
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
] · H
 
2
O
7.DD.10Wroewolfeite
Cu
 
4
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
] · 2H
 
2
O
7.DD.10Montetrisaite
Cu
 
6
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
10
·H
 
2
O
7.DD.15Spangolite
Cu
 
6
Al[(OH)
 
12
|Cl|SO
 
4
] · 3H
 
2
O
7.DD.20Ktenasite
(Cu,Zn)
 
5
[(OH)
 
6
|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 6H
 
2
O
7.DD.25Christelite
Cu
 
2
Zn
 
3
[(OH)
 
6
|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 4H
 
2
O
7.DD.30Campigliaite
Mn
2+
 
Cu
 
4
[(OH)
 
6
|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 4H
 
2
O
7.DD.30Devilline
CaCu
 
4
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
·3H
 
2
O
7.DD.30Orthoserpierite
Ca(Cu,Zn)
 
4
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
·3H
 
2
O
7.DD.30Serpierite
Ca(Cu,Zn)
 
4
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
·3H
 
2
O
7.DD.30Niedermayrite
CdCu
 
4
[(OH)
 
6
|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 4H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Carrboydite
(Ni,Cu)
 
14
Al
 
9
[(OH)
 
43
|(SO
 
4
,CO
 
3
)
 
6
] · 7H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Glaucocerinite
(Zn,Cu)
 
10
Al
 
6
[(OH)
 
32
|(SO
 
4
)
 
3
] · 18H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Honessite
Ni
 
6
Fe
3+
2
[(OH)
 
16
|SO
 
4
] · 4H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Hydrohonessite
Ni
 
6
Fe
3+
2
[(OH)
 
16
|SO
 
4
] · 7H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Motukoreaite
NaMg
 
19
Al
 
12
(CO
 
3
)
 
6.5
(SO
 
4
)
 
4
(OH)
 
54
·28H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Mountkeithite
(Mg,Ni)
 
11
(Fe
3+
 
,Cr
3+
 
,Al)
 
3
[(OH)
 
24
|(SO
 
4
,CO
 
3
)
 
3.5
] · 11H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Shigaite
Al
 
4
Mn
 
7
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
22
·8H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Wermlandite
Mg
 
7
(Ca,Mg)(Al,Fe)
 
2
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
18
(H
 
2
O)
 
12
7.DD.35Woodwardite
Cu
 
4
Al
 
2
[(OH)
 
12
|SO
 
4
] · 2-4H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Zincaluminite
Zn
 
6
Al
 
6
[(OH)
 
13
|SO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 5H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Hydrowoodwardite
Cu
 
1-x
Al
 
x
[(OH)
 
2
|(SO
 
4
)
 
x/2
] · nH
 
2
O
7.DD.35Zincowoodwardite
Zn
 
1-x
Al
 
x
(SO
 
4
)
 
x/2
(OH)
 
2
·nH
 
2
O (?)
7.DD.35Natroglaucocerinite
[(Zn,Cu)
 
5
Al
 
3
(OH)
 
16
][(SO
 
4
)
 
1.5
Na
 
1.5
(SO
 
4
)
 
0.75
(H
 
2
O)
 
9
]
7.DD.35Nikischerite
[AlFe
 
2
(OH)
 
6
]
 
3
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
Na(H
 
2
O)
 
6
·6H
 
2
O
7.DD.40Lawsonbauerite
(Mn
2+
 
,Mg)
 
9
Zn
 
4
[(OH)
 
11
|SO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
7.DD.40Torreyite
(Mg,Mn
2+
 
)
 
9
Zn
 
4
[(OH)
 
11
|SO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
7.DD.45Mooreite
(Mg,Zn,Mn
2+
 
)
 
15
[(OH)
 
13
|SO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 8H
 
2
O
7.DD.50Namuwite
(Zn,Cu)
 
4
[(OH)
 
6
|SO
 
4
] · 4H
 
2
O
7.DD.60Ramsbeckite
(Cu,Zn)
 
15
[(OH)
 
22
|(SO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 6H
 
2
O
7.DD.65Vonbezingite
Ca
 
6
Cu
 
3
[(OH)
 
12
|(SO
 
4
)
 
3
] · 2H
 
2
O
7.DD.70Redgillite
Cu
 
6
[(OH)
 
10
|SO
 
4
] · H
 
2
O
7.DD.75Chalcoalumite
CuAl
 
4
[(OH)
 
12
|SO
 
4
] · 3H
 
2
O
7.DD.75Nickelalumite
(Ni,Cu)Al
 
4
[(OH)
 
12
|{SO
 
4
,(NO
 
3
)
 
2
}] · 3H
 
2
O
7.DD.75Kyrgyzstanite
ZnAl
 
4
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
12
·3H
 
2
O
7.DD.80Guarinoite
(Zn,Co,Ni)
 
6
[(OH,Cl)
 
10
|SO
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
7.DD.80Schulenbergite
(Cu,Zn)
 
7
[(OH)
 
10
|(SO
 
4
,CO
 
3
)
 
2
] · 3H
 
2
O
7.DD.80Thérèsemagnanite
(Co,Zn,Ni)
 
6
(SO
 
4
)(OH,Cl)
 
10
·8H
 
2
O
7.DD.80UM1992-30
(Zn,Cu)
 
7
[(SO
 
4
,CO
 
3
)
 
2
](OH)
 
10
 · 3H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Dana Grouping):

- +
4.0.0.0Polymignite
(Ca,Fe,Y,Th)(Nb,Ti,Ta,Zr)O
 
4

Other Names for Bechererite

Synonyms:
IMA1994-005
Other Languages:
German:Bechererit
Russian:Бехерерит
Spanish:Bechererita

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 Bechererite

Reference List:Mineralogical Record: 27: 393.

Giester, G. and Rieck, B. (1996): Bechererite, (Zn,Cu)6Zn2(OH)13[(S,Si)(O,OH)4]2, a novel mineral species from the Tonopah-Belmont mine, Arizona: American Mineralogist 81, 244-248.

Hoffmann, Ch., Armbruster, Th., Giester, G (1997): Acentric structure (P3) of bechererite, Zn7Cu(OH)13[SiO(OH)3SO4]: American Mineralogist 82, 1014-1018.

Articles/Blogs about Bechererite

Internet Links for Bechererite

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

    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.
    Australia
     
    • New South Wales
      • Yancowinna Co.
    		No reference listed
    M.E. Ciriotti, 2006, probed EDX+XRD
    Germany
     
    • North Rhine-Westphalia
      • Siegerland
        • Wilnsdorf
    		Mineralien-Welt 17, (4), 36-37
    Italy
     
    • Liguria
      • Genova Province
        • Genova
          • Varenna Valley
    		Rivista Mineralogica Italiana, 22 (3), 39-41.
    UK
     
    • England
      • Cornwall
        • Mount's Bay District
          • Perranuthnoe
    		Bechererite from Leadhills, South Lanarkshire and the Charlotte United Mines, Perranuthnoe, Cornwall. UK Journal of Mines & Minerals pp7-8, No28, 2007.
      • Cumbria
        • North and Western Region (Cumberland)
          • Caldbeck Fells
    		UKJMM.23.2003
            • Roughton Gill
    		Pluth, J. J., Steele, I. M., Kampf, A. R. & Green, D. I. (2005): Redgillite, Cu6(OH)10(SO4)•H2O, a new mineral from Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England: description and crystal structure. Mineralogical Magazine, 69, 973-980.
    • Scotland
      • Strathclyde (Lanarkshire)
        • Leadhills
          • Mine Hill-Broad Law
    		Bechererite From Leadhills, South Lanarkshire and the Charlotte United Mines, Perranuthnoe, Cornwall. UK Journal of Mines and Minerals pp7-8, No28, 2007.
    • Wales
      • Ceredigion (Dyfed; Cardiganshire)
        • Ceulanymaesmawr
          • Talybont
            • Nant-y-Moch Reservoir area
    		UKJMM.23.2003
    UKJMM.23.2003
        • Trefeirig
          • Pen-bont Rhydybeddau
    		UKJMM.23.2003
        • Upper Llanfihangell-y-Creuddyn
          • Pontrhydygroes
    		UKJMM 17
      • Powys (Montgomeryshire)
        • Llangynog
    		S Rust collection
        • Machynlleth
          • Dylife
    		UKJMM.23.2003
    USA
     
    • Arizona
      • Maricopa Co.
        • Big Horn Mts
          • Osborn District
            • Tonopah
              • Belmont Mountain
    		Giester, G. and B. Rieck (1996) Bechererite, (Zn,Cu)6Zn2(OH)13[(S,Si)(O,OH)4]2, a novel mineral species from the Tonopah-Belmont mine, Arizona, American Mineralogist: 81: 244-248. Grant, Raymond W., Richard A. Bideaux & Sidney A. Williams (2006), Minerals Added to the Arizona List 1995 to 2005: 1.
    Mineral and/or Locality
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