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Sampleite

Big Photo

Santa Catalina Mine, Caracoles, Sierra Gorda District, Tocopilla Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile
© Antonio Borrelli

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Formula:
NaCaCu
 
5
[Cl|(PO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
System:OrthorhombicColour:Light blue, bluish ...
Hardness:4
Name:Name after Mr. Mat Sample, Mine Superintendent for the Chile Exploration Company, Chuquicamata, Chile.


Lavendulan Group. The phosphate analogue of Lavendulan.
A polymorph is known (Giester et al., 2007).

An uncommon mineral in the oxidized zones of copper deposits in arid climates; in caves.

Classification of Sampleite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:7/D.25-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:8.DG.05

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
D : Phosphates, etc. with additional anions, with H2O
G : With large and medium-sized cations, (OH, etc.):RO4< 0.5:1
Dana 8th edition ID:42.9.4.1

42 : HYDRATED PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
9 : (AB)7(XO4)4Zq·xH2O
Hey's CIM Ref.:22.2.1

22 : Phosphates, Arsenates or Vanadates with other Anions
2 : Phosphates, arsenates or vanadates with chloride
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Type Occurrence of Sampleite

Type Locality:Chuquicamata Mine, Chuquicamata District, Calama, El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile
Place of Conservation of Type Material:Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: 95023, 95024. National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA: 137298.
Year of Discovery:1942
Geological Setting of type material:Highly oxidized ore.
Associated Minerals at type locality:
LimoniteLibetheniteJarositeGypsumAtacamite

Occurrences of Sampleite

Geological Setting:Oxidized zones of copper deposits in arid climates; in caves derived from copper sulfides in cave walls and phosphorus from bat guano; miarolytic cavities in granite; in pegmatites.

Physical Properties of Sampleite

Lustre:Pearly
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent
Comment:Lustre pearly on {010}.
Colour:Light blue, bluish green; blue in transmitted light.
Streak:Light blue
Hardness (Mohs):4
Cleavage:Perfect
On {010}, perfect; on {100} and {001}, good.
Density (measured):3.2 g/cm3
Density (calculated):3.26 g/cm3

Crystallography of Sampleite

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Cell Parameters:a = 9.7Å, b = 38.4Å, c = 9.65Å
β = 90.07°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.253 : 1 : 0.251
Unit Cell Volume:V 3,594.43 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:8
Morphology:Thin lath-like, pseudo-orthorhombic plates, flattened on {010}, elongated along [001]; rosettes; commonly aggregated into crusts.
Twinning:Common.
Comment:Pseudo-orthorhombic metrics. Old literature gives "orthorhombic" cell with a = 9.7, b = 38.7, c = 9.45 A. The polymorph described by Giester et al. (2007) has space group P21/c, a = 9.695(2), b = 9.673(2), c = 19.739(4) Å, beta = 102.61(3)°, V = 1806.5(6) Å3, Z = 4.

Optical Data of Sampleite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 1.629 nβ = 1.677 nγ = 1.679
2V:Measured: 5° to 23°, Calculated: 22°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.050

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:High
Dispersion:r > v
Pleochroism:Visible
Comments:X = b = Deep blue, blue-green
Y = a = Light blue, turquoise-blue
Z = c = Turquoise-blue, colourless

Chemical Properties of Sampleite

Formula:
NaCaCu
 
5
[Cl|(PO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
Essential elements:Ca, Cl, Cu, H, Na, O, P
All elements listed in formula:Ca, Cl, Cu, H, Na, O, P

Relationship of Sampleite to other Species

Series:Forms a series with Lavendulan (see here)
Member of Group:
Lavendulan Group:
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
8.DG.05Lavendulan
NaCaCu
 
5
[Cl|(AsO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
8.DG.05Shubnikovite
Ca
 
2
Cu
 
8
[Cl|OH|(AsO
 
4
)
 
6
] · 7H
 
2
O
8.DG.05Zdenĕkite
NaPbCu
 
5
[Cl|(AsO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
8.DG.05Lemanskiite
NaCaCu
 
5
[Cl|(AsO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
22.2.2Lavendulan
NaCaCu
 
5
[Cl|(AsO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 5H
 
2
O
22.2.3Apatite-(CaCl)
Ca
 
5
[Cl|(PO
 
4
)
 
3
]
22.2.4Turneaureite
Ca
 
5
[Cl|(AsO
 
4
,PO
 
4
)
 
3
]
22.2.5Shubnikovite
Ca
 
2
Cu
 
8
[Cl|OH|(AsO
 
4
)
 
6
] · 7H
 
2
O
22.2.6Richelsdorfite
Ca
 
2
Cu
 
5
Sb[Cl|(OH)
 
6
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
4
] · 6H
 
2
O
22.2.7Alforsite
Ba
 
5
[Cl|(PO
 
4
)
 
3
]
22.2.8Morelandite
(Ba,Ca,Pb)
 
5
[Cl|(AsO
 
4
,PO
 
4
)
 
3
]
22.2.9Pyromorphite
Pb
 
5
[Cl|(PO
 
4
)
 
3
]
22.2.10Mimetite
Pb
 
5
[Cl|(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
]
22.2.11Clinomimetite
Pb
 
5
[Cl|(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
]
22.2.12Sahlinite
Pb
 
14
[O
 
9
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
|Cl
 
4
]
22.2.13Georgiadèsite
Pb
 
16
[(OH)
 
6
|Cl
 
14
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
4
]
22.2.14Vanadinite
Pb
 
5
[Cl|(VO
 
4
)
 
3
]
22.2.15Kombatite
Pb
 
14
[O
 
9
|(VO
 
4
)
 
2
|Cl
 
4
]
22.2.16Leningradite
PbCu
 
3
[Cl|VO
 
4
]
 
2
22.2.17Hedyphane
Pb
 
3
Ca
 
2
[Cl|(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
]
22.2.18Nealite
Pb
 
4
Fe
2+
 
[Cl
 
2
|AsO
 
3
]
 
2
 · 2H
 
2
O

Other Names for Sampleite

Other Languages:
German:Sampleit
Spanish:Sampleita

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 Sampleite

Reference List:Hurlbut, C.S, Jr. (1942) Sampleite, a new mineral from Chuquicamata, Chile. American Mineralogist: 27: 586–589.

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.: 945-946.

Guillemin, C. (1956) Contribution a la
min´eralogie des ars´eniates, phosphates et vanadates de cuivre: phosphates et vanadates de cuivre. II. Phosphates et vanadates de cuivre. Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie: 79: 219–275 (esp. 226–229) (in
French).

Fabrizi, M., Ganiaris, H., Tarling, S.E., and Scott, D.A. (1989) The occurrence of sampleite, a complex copper phosphate, as a corrosion product on copper alloy objects from Memphis, Egypt. Studies in Conservation: 34: 45-51.

Giester, G., Kolitsch, U., Leverett, P., Turner, P. & Williams, P.A. (2007): The crystal structures of lavendulan, sampleite, and a new polymorph of sampleite. European Journal of Mineralogy 19, 75-93.

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    Localities for Sampleite

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