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Christelite

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San Francisco Mine (Beatrix Mine), Caracoles, Sierra Gorda District, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile
© DM06

Show Christelite Photos (17)



Formula:
Cu
 
2
Zn
 
3
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
 · 4H
 
2
O
System:TriclinicLustre:Vitreous
Hardness:2 - 3
Name:Named after Mrs. Christel Gebhard-Giesen (b. 1950), the wife of Mr. Georg Gebhard who discovered the mineral.


See also Unnamed (Polytype of Christelite).
Note: Some of the mineral photos may in fact show the unnamed polytype, not christelite.

Cd-bearing varieties may be confused with edwardsite.

Classification of Christelite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:6/D.03-65
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:7.DD.25

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
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Type Occurrence of Christelite

Type Locality:San Francisco Mine (Beatrix Mine), Caracoles, Sierra Gorda District, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile

Physical Properties of Christelite

Lustre:Vitreous
Hardness (Mohs):2 - 3

Crystallography of Christelite

Crystal System:Triclinic
Cell Parameters:a = 5.4143(8) Å, b = 6.336(1) Å, c = 10.470(3) Å
α = 94.32(3)°, β = 90.06(2)°, γ = 90.27(2)°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.855 : 1 : 1.652
Unit Cell Volume:V 358.15 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:2
Morphology:As thin bladed crystals, flattened on {001}.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
10.459 (82)
5.230 (100)
3.486 (54)
3.157 (8)
2.493 (10)
2.355 (10)
1.743 (12)

Optical Data of Christelite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.598 nβ = 1.626 nγ = 1.635
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.038

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

Chemical Properties of Christelite

Formula:
Cu
 
2
Zn
 
3
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
 · 4H
 
2
O
Essential elements:Cu, H, O, S, Zn
All elements listed in formula:Cu, H, O, S, Zn

Relationship of Christelite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
7.DD.05Felsőbányaite
Al
 
4
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
10
 · 4H
 
2
O
7.DD.10Langite
Cu
 
4
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
6
 · 2H
 
2
O
7.DD.10Posnjakite
Cu
 
4
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
6
 · H
 
2
O
7.DD.10Wroewolfeite
Cu
 
4
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
6
 · 2H
 
2
O
7.DD.15Spangolite
Cu
 
6
Al(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
12
Cl · 3H
 
2
O
7.DD.20Ktenasite
Zn(Cu,Zn)
 
4
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
 · 6H
 
2
O
7.DD.30Campigliaite
Mn
2+
 
Cu
 
4
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
 · 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
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
 · 4H
 
2
O
7.DD.30Edwardsite
Cu
 
3
Cd
 
2
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
·4H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Carrboydite
(Ni,Cu)
 
14
Al
 
9
(SO
 
4
,CO
 
3
)
 
6
(OH)
 
43
 · 7H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Glaucocerinite
(Zn,Cu)
 
10
Al
 
6
(SO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH)
 
32
 · 18H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Honessite
Ni
 
6
Fe
3+
2
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
16
 · 4H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Hydrohonessite
Ni
 
6
Fe
3+
2
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
16
 · 7H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Motukoreaite
NaMg
 
19
Al
 
12
(SO
 
4
)
 
4
(CO
 
3
)
 
6.5
(OH)
 
54
 · 28H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Mountkeithite
(Mg,Ni)
 
11
(Fe
3+
 
,Cr
3+
 
,Al)
 
3
(SO
 
4
,CO
 
3
)
 
3.5
(OH)
 
24
 · 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
 · 12H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Woodwardite
Cu
 
4
Al
 
2
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
12
 · 2-4H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Zincaluminite
Zn
 
6
Al
 
6
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
16
 · 5H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Hydrowoodwardite
(Cu,Al)
 
9
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
18
 · nH
 
2
O
7.DD.35Zincowoodwardite
Zn
 
1-x
Al
 
x
(SO
 
4
)
 
x/2
(OH)
 
2
 · nH
 
2
O (x=0.32-0.50)
7.DD.35Natroglaucocerinite
Na
 
x
Zn
 
8-y
Al
 
y
(SO
 
4
)
 
(x+y)/2
(OH)
 
16
 · 6H
 
2
O
7.DD.35Nikischerite
NaFe
2+
6
Al
 
3
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
18
 · 12H
 
2
O
7.DD.40Lawsonbauerite
(Mn
2+
 
,Mg)
 
9
Zn
 
4
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
22
 · 8H
 
2
O
7.DD.40Torreyite
(Mg,Mn
2+
 
)
 
9
Zn
 
4
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
22
 · 8H
 
2
O
7.DD.45Mooreite
(Mg,Zn,Mn
2+
 
)
 
15
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
26
 · 8H
 
2
O
7.DD.50Namuwite
(Zn,Cu)
 
4
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
6
 · 4H
 
2
O
7.DD.55Bechererite
(Zn,Cu)
 
6
Zn
 
2
(SO
 
4
,HSiO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
12
7.DD.60Ramsbeckite
(Cu,Zn)
 
15
(SO
 
4
)
 
4
(OH)
 
22
 · 6H
 
2
O
7.DD.65Vonbezingite
Ca
 
6
Cu
 
3
(SO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH)
 
12
 · 2H
 
2
O
7.DD.70Redgillite
Cu
 
6
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
10
 · H
 
2
O
7.DD.75Chalcoalumite
CuAl
 
4
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
12
 · 3H
 
2
O
7.DD.75Nickelalumite
(Ni,Cu)Al
 
4
(SO
 
4
,(NO
 
3
)
 
2
)(OH)
 
12
 · 3H
 
2
O
7.DD.75Kyrgyzstanite
ZnAl
 
4
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
12
·3H
 
2
O
7.DD.80Guarinoite
(Zn,Co,Ni)
 
6
(SO
 
4
)(OH,Cl)
 
10
 · 5H
 
2
O
7.DD.80Schulenbergite
(Cu,Zn)
 
7
(SO
 
4
,CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
10
 · 3H
 
2
O
7.DD.80Thérèsemagnanite
(Co,Zn,Ni)
 
6
(SO
 
4
)(OH,Cl)
 
10
 · 8H
 
2
O
7.DD.80UM1992-30-SO:CCuHZn
(Zn,Cu)
 
7
(SO
 
4
,CO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
10
 · 3H
 
2
O
7.DD.85Montetrisaite
Cu
 
6
(SO
 
4
)(OH)
 
10
 · 2H
 
2
O

Other Names for Christelite

Synonyms:
IMA1995-030
Other Languages:
German:Christelit
Russian:Кристелит
Spanish:Christelita

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 Christelite

Reference List:

- +
Schlüter, J. Klaska, K.-H., Adiwidjaja, G. & Gebhard, G. (1996): Christelite, Zn3Cu2(SO4)2(OH)6•4H2O, a new mineral from the San Francisco Mine, Antofagasta, Chile.: Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte (1996): 188-192.

Mineralogical Record: 28: 401.

Adiwidjaja, G., K. Friese, K.-H. Klaska, and J. Schl ̈ter (1996): The crystal structure of christelite Zn3Cu2(SO4)2(OH)6•4H2O. Zeits. Kristallogr., 211, 518–521.

Internet Links for Christelite

Search Engines:
  • Look for Christelite on Google
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    • External Links:
  • Look for Christelite on Webmineral
  • Look for Christelite on Athena Mineralogy[Link Broken?]
  • Look for Christelite on Mineralien Atlas
  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Christelite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
    • Mineral Dealers:
  • Find Christelite on www.crystalclassics.co.uk
  • Search for - Christelite - on e-Rocks Mineral Sales & Auctions
  • Rare and Unusual minerals at Mineralogical Research Company
  • Mineral Classics - Worldwide Collector Quality Minerals and Gems
  • The Arkenstone - Fine Minerals
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  • Fabre Minerals - search for Christelite specimens
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    • Localities for Christelite

    Hide Locality List
    (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.
    Chile
     
    • Antofagasta Region
      • Antofagasta Province
        • Sierra Gorda District
          • Caracoles
    		Neues Jahrbuch Min. Mon.: 1996:188-192.
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