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Caracolite

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La Compañia Mine, Caracoles, Sierra Gorda District, Tocopilla Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile
© P. Lunzer

Show Caracolite Photos (11)
Formula:
Na
 
3
Pb
 
2
[Cl|(SO
 
4
)
 
3
]
System:MonoclinicColour:Colourless, grayish, ...
Hardness:4½
Name:After Caracoles, a town near the type locality of the Beatriz Mine, Sierra Gorda, Atacama, Chile.
This page provides mineralogical data about Caracolite.

Classification of Caracolite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:6/B.12-60
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:7.BD.20

7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
B : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, without H2O
D : With only large cations
Dana 8th edition ID:30.3.2.1

30 : ANHYDROUS SULFATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
3 : (AB)5(XO4)3Zq
Hey's CIM Ref.:26.25

26 : Sulphates with Halide
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Type Occurrence of Caracolite

Type Locality:Beatriz Mine, Caracoles, Sierra Gorda District, Tocopilla Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile
General Appearance of Type Material:Crystalline incrustations with pseudohexagonal crystals to 1mm.
Year of Discovery:1886
Associated Minerals at type locality:
PercyliteBindheimiteAnglesiteGalena

Physical Properties of Caracolite

Lustre:Vitreous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent
Colour:Colourless, grayish, greenish stained; colourless in transmitted light.
Hardness (Mohs):4½
Cleavage:None Observed
Density (measured):5.1 g/cm3
Comment:Measured density approximate.

Crystallography of Caracolite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Cell Parameters:a = 19.62Å, b = 7.14Å, c = 9.81Å
β = 120°
Ratio:a:b:c = 2.748 : 1 : 1.374
Unit Cell Volume:V 1,190.14 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:Occurs as crystalline incrustations. Imperfect crystals to 1 mm apparently hexagonal with a hexagonal pyramid and prism plus a large base.
Twinning:Pseudo-hexagonal trillings, analogous to aragonite. Exhibits complex polysynthetic twinning with rather large extinction angles.

Optical Data of Caracolite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.743 nβ = 1.754 nγ = 1.764
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.021

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

Chemical Properties of Caracolite

Formula:
Na
 
3
Pb
 
2
[Cl|(SO
 
4
)
 
3
]
Essential elements:Cl, Na, O, Pb, S
All elements listed in formula:Cl, Na, O, Pb, S

Relationship of Caracolite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
7.BD.05Sulphohalite
Na
 
6
[F|Cl|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
]
7.BD.05Sulfohalite
7.BD.10Galeite
Na
 
15
[F
 
4
|Cl|(SO
 
4
)
 
5
]
7.BD.10Schairerite
Na
 
3
[(F,Cl)|SO
 
4
]
7.BD.15Kogarkoite
Na
 
3
[F|SO
 
4
]
7.BD.20Cesanite
Na
 
3
Ca
 
2
[OH|(SO
 
4
)
 
3
]
7.BD.25Burkeite
Na
 
6
CO
 
3
(SO
 
4
)
 
2
7.BD.30Hanksite
Na
 
22
K(SO
 
4
)
 
9
(CO
 
3
)
 
2
Cl
7.BD.35Cannonite
Bi
 
2
[O|(OH)
 
2
|SO
 
4
]
7.BD.40Lanarkite
Pb
 
2
[O|SO
 
4
]
7.BD.45Grandreefite
Pb
 
2
SO
 
4
F
 
2
7.BD.50Itoite
Pb
 
3
Ge
4+
 
[O|OH|SO
 
4
]
 
2
7.BD.55Chiluite
Bi
 
6
Mo
 
2
Te
 
2
O
 
21
7.BD.60Hectorfloresite
Na
 
9
[IO
 
3
|(SO
 
4
)
 
4
]
7.BD.65Pseudograndreefite
Pb
 
6
SO
 
4
F
 
10
7.BD.70Sundiusite
Pb
 
10
[O
 
8
|SO
 
4
|Cl
 
2
]
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
26.1Kogarkoite
Na
 
3
[F|SO
 
4
]
26.2Sulphohalite
Na
 
6
[F|Cl|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
]
26.3Schairerite
Na
 
3
[(F,Cl)|SO
 
4
]
26.4Galeite
Na
 
15
[F
 
4
|Cl|(SO
 
4
)
 
5
]
26.5Connellite
Cu
 
19
[(OH)
 
32
|SO
 
4
|Cl
 
4
] · 3H
 
2
O
26.6Chlorothionite
K
 
2
Cu[Cl
 
2
|SO
 
4
]
26.7Kamchatkite
KCu
 
3
[O|Cl|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
]
26.8Spangolite
Cu
 
6
Al[(OH)
 
12
|Cl|SO
 
4
] · 3H
 
2
O
26.9Aubertite
CuAl[Cl|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 14H
 
2
O
26.10Magnesioaubertite
(Mg,Cu)Al[Cl|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 14H
 
2
O
26.11Svyazhinite
(Mg,Mn
2+
 
,Ca)(Al,Fe
3+
 
)[F|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 14H
 
2
O
26.12D'Ansite
Na
 
21
Mg(SO
 
4
)
 
10
Cl
 
3
26.13Anhydrokainite
KMgClSO
 
4
26.14Kainite
KMg[Cl|SO
 
4
] · 3H
 
2
O
26.15Mosesite
[Hg
 
2
N]
+
 
(Cl,SO
 
4
,MoO
 
4
) · H
 
2
O
26.16Kleinite
[Hg
 
2
N]
+
3
Cl
 
2
S
 
0.5
 · H
 
2
O
26.17Wilcoxite
MgAl[F|(SO
 
4
)
 
2
] · 18H
 
2
O
26.18Creedite
Ca
 
3
[SO
 
4
|Al
 
2
F
 
8
(OH)
 
2
] · 2H
 
2
O
26.19Lannonite
HCa
 
4
Mg
 
2
Al
 
4
(SO
 
4
)
 
8
F
 
9
·32H
 
2
O
26.20Chukhrovite-(Y)
Ca
 
3
(Y,Ce)[F|SO
 
4
|(AlF
 
6
)
 
2
] · 10H
 
2
O
26.21Chukhrovite-(Ce)
Ca
 
3
(Ce,Y)[F|SO
 
4
|(AlF
 
6
)
 
2
] · 10H
 
2
O
26.22Grandreefite
Pb
 
2
SO
 
4
F
 
2
26.23Pseudograndreefite
Pb
 
6
SO
 
4
F
 
10
26.24Sundiusite
Pb
 
10
[O
 
8
|SO
 
4
|Cl
 
2
]
26.26Mammothite
Pb
 
6
Cu
 
4
AlSb[(OH)
 
9
|Cl
 
2
|SO
 
4
]
 
2
26.27Atlasovite
K(BiO)Cu
 
6
Fe
3+
 
[Cl|O
 
3
|(SO
 
4
)
 
5
]
26.28Xitieshanite
Fe
3+
 
[Cl|SO
 
4
] · 6H
 
2
O
26.29Nabokoite
KCu
 
7
Te
4+
 
[Cl|O
 
4
|(SO
 
4
)
 
5
]

Other Names for Caracolite

Other Languages:
German:Caracolit
Russian:Караколит
Spanish:Caracolita

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 Caracolite

Reference List:Websky (1886) Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin: 1045.

Fletcher (1889) Mineralogical Magazine: 8: 172.

Goldschmidt, V. (1913) Atlas der Krystallformen. 9 volumes, atlas, and text: vol. 2: 2: 104.

Larsen, E.S. (1921) The Microscopic Determination of the Nonopaque Minerals, First edition, USGS Bulletin 679: 52.

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, 1124 pp.: 546-547.

Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte (1969): 58-64.

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    Localities for Caracolite

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    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.
    Chile
     
    • Antofagasta Region
      • Tocopilla Province
        • Sierra Gorda District
          • Caracoles
    		Periodico di Mineralogia 54 (1985), 34; 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: 82, 547.
    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: 75.
    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: 75.
    Collection U. Kolitsch (gift from Arturo Molina)
    Vajdak, Josef (2006) Mineral News: 22: 11; U. Kolitsch collection.
    • Tarapacá Region
      • Iquique Province
        • Challacollo
    Germany
     
    • North Rhine-Westphalia
      • Ruhr Coal Mining area
        • Recklinghausen
          • Marl-Hüls
    		Weiss: "Mineralfundstellen, Deutschland West", 1990
    Ukraine
     
    • Zhytomyr Oblast' (Zhitomir Oblast')
    		No reference listed
    Mineral and/or Locality
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