Mindat Logo
Home Page Log In Message Board The Mindat Directory
Register Search Pages Chat Now! (3 online) Mindat Auctions

Boleite

Big Photo

Santa Rosalía (El Boleo), Boleo District, Mun. de Mulegé, Baja California Sur, Mexico
© Tony Peterson

Show Boleite Photos (134)
Formula:
KPb
 
26
Ag
 
9
Cu
 
24
(OH)
 
48
Cl
 
62
System:IsometricColour:Deep prussian blue to ...
Lustre:Vitreous, PearlyHardness:3 - 3½
Name:For the type locality, Boleo, near Santa Rosalia, Baja California.


A secondary mineral.

Classification of Boleite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:3/D.12-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:3.DB.15

3 : HALIDES
D : Oxyhalides, hydroxyhalides and related double halides
B : With Pb, Cu, etc.
Dana 8th edition ID:10.6.6.1

10 : OXYHALIDES AND HYDROXYHALIDES
6 : AmBn(O,OH)pXq
Hey's CIM Ref.:8.8.18

8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
8 : Halides of Pb
mindat.org URL:http://www.mindat.org/min-712.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

Type Occurrence of Boleite

Type Locality:Santa Rosalía (El Boleo), Boleo District, Mun. de Mulegé, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Place of Conservation of Type Material:National School of Mines, Paris, France
Year of Discovery:1891
Geological Setting of type material:In the oxidized zone of a Pb-Cu deposit, formed through reaction of chloride with primary sulphides
Associated Minerals at type locality:
PhosgeniteGypsumCumengeiteCerussiteAtacamite
Anglesite

Occurrences of Boleite

Geological Setting:In the oxidized zone of Pb-Cu deposits; in smelter slags immersed in and leached by sea water

Physical Properties of Boleite

Lustre:Vitreous, Pearly
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Translucent
Colour:Deep prussian blue to indigo; bluish green in transmitted light
Streak:Blue, with greenish tint
Hardness (Mohs):3 - 3½
Cleavage:Perfect
on {001}; good on {101}; poor on {100}.
Density (measured):5.054 g/cm3
Density (calculated):5.062 g/cm3

Crystallography of Boleite

Crystal System:Isometric
Class (H-M):m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:Pm3m {P4/m 3 2/m}
Cell Parameters:a = 15.29Å
Unit Cell Volume:V 3,574.56 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:1
Morphology:Crystals cubic, to 2 cm, rarely modified by {111} and {011}.

Epitaxial Relationships of Boleite

Epitaxial Minerals:
PseudoboleiteCumengeite
Epitaxi Comments:commonly surficially layered with or overgrown by cumengite or pseudoboléite, mutually parallel to {001}.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
4.415 (100)
3.821 (80)
2.702 (60)
2.547 (40)
3.505 (35)
2.330 (35)
Comments:Recorded on a sample from Boleo, Mexico (ICDD 27-1206). The pattern may be totally obscured by the pattern of intergrown pseudoboléite.

Optical Data of Boleite

Type:Isotropic
RI values: n = 2.05
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.000 - Isotropic minerals have no birefringence
Surface Relief:Very High
Pleochroism:Non-pleochroic

Chemical Properties of Boleite

Formula:
KPb
 
26
Ag
 
9
Cu
 
24
(OH)
 
48
Cl
 
62
Essential elements:Ag, Cl, Cu, H, K, O, Pb
All elements listed in formula:Ag, Cl, Cu, H, K, O, Pb
Analytical Data:Chemical analysis of a sample from Boleó, Mexico
AgCl   (12.03)
Pb     (49.16)
CuO    (17.17)
Cl     (17.04)
K2O      n.d.
H2O     (4.35)
insol.  (0.21)

sum     99.96 wt.-%
Empirical Formula:
Pb
 
25.88
Ag
 
9.16
Cu
 
23.54
Cl
 
61.58
O
 
49.87
H
 
52.65

Relationship of Boleite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
3.DB.05Diaboleite
Pb
 
2
CuCl
 
2
(OH)
 
4
3.DB.10Pseudoboleite
Pb
 
31
Cu
 
24
Cl
 
62
(OH)
 
48
3.DB.20Cumengeite
Pb
 
21
Cu
 
20
Cl
 
42
(OH)
 
40
·6H
 
2
O
3.DB.25Bideauxite
Pb
 
2
Ag[(F,OH)
 
2
|Cl
 
3
]
3.DB.30Chloroxiphite
Pb
 
3
CuO
 
2
Cl
 
2
(OH)
 
2
3.DB.35Hematophanite
Pb
 
4
Fe
 
3
O
 
8
(OH,Cl)
3.DB.40Asisite
Pb
 
7
[O
 
4
|SiO
 
4
|Cl
 
2
]
3.DB.40Parkinsonite
(Pb,Mo,[])
 
8
O
 
8
Cl
 
2
3.DB.45Murdochite
PbCu
 
6
O
 
8-x
(Cl,Br)
 
2x
 x<=0.5
3.DB.50Yedlinite
Pb
 
6
(Cl,OH)
 
6
Cr
3+
 
(OH,O)
 
8
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
8.8.1Abhurite
Sn
 
21
Cl
 
16
(OH)
 
14
O
 
6
8.8.2Matlockite
PbFCl
8.8.3Laurelite
Pb(F,Cl,OH)
 
2
8.8.4Cotunnite
PbCl
 
2
8.8.5Mendipite
Pb
 
3
[O
 
2
|Cl
 
2
]
8.8.6Damaraite
Pb
 
3
[O
 
2
|OH|Cl]
8.8.7Laurionite
PbClOH
8.8.8Paralaurionite
PbClOH
8.8.9Penfieldite
Pb
 
2
[OH|Cl
 
3
]
8.8.10Fiedlerite
Pb
 
3
Cl
 
4
F(OH)·H
 
2
O
8.8.11Blixite
Pb
 
2
[(O,OH)
 
2
|Cl]
8.8.12Pseudocotunnite
K
 
2
PbCl
 
4
8.8.13Diaboleite
Pb
 
2
CuCl
 
2
(OH)
 
4
8.8.14Pseudoboleite
Pb
 
31
Cu
 
24
Cl
 
62
(OH)
 
48
8.8.15Chloroxiphite
Pb
 
3
CuO
 
2
Cl
 
2
(OH)
 
2
8.8.17Bideauxite
Pb
 
2
Ag[(F,OH)
 
2
|Cl
 
3
]
8.8.19Aravaipaite
Pb
 
3
[F
 
3
|AlF
 
6
] · H
 
2
O
8.8.20Yedlinite
Pb
 
6
(Cl,OH)
 
6
Cr
3+
 
(OH,O)
 
8
8.8.21Kolarite
PbTeCl
 
2
8.8.22Hematophanite
Pb
 
4
Fe
 
3
O
 
8
(OH,Cl)

Other Names for Boleite

Synonyms:
Argentopercylite
Other Languages:
German:Argentopercylit
Boleit
Russian:Болеит
Spanish:Argentopercylita
Boleita

Other Information

Other Information:Inert in water. Soluble in HNO3.
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 Boleite

Reference List:Mallard and Cumenge (1891) Comptes rendu de l’Académie des sciences de Paris: 113: 519.

Schultze (1892) Chemiker-Zeitung Cöthen: 16: 1953 (as Argentopercylite).

Carmichael and Armstrong in Liversidge (1894) Journal of the Royal Society of New South Wales: 94: 98.

Friedel (1894) Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie: 17: 6.

Friedel (1906) Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie: 29: 14.

Hadding (1919) Geologiska Föeningens I Stockholm. Förhandlinger, Stockholm: 41: 175.

Gossner and Arm (1929) Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 72: 202.

Friedel (1930) Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 73: 147.

Gossner (1930) Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 75: 365.

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: Halides, Nitrates, Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates, Phosphates, Arsenates, Tungstates, Molybdates, Etc. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 78-79.

Rouse, R. C. (1973): The crystal structure of boleite - a mineral containing silver atom clusters. Journal of Solid State Chemistry 6, 86-92.

Winchell, R. E. and Rouse, R. C. (1974): The mineralogy of the boleite group. Mineralogical Record 5, 280-287.

Anthony, J.W., Bideaux, R.A., Bladh, K.W., and Nichols, M.C. (1997) Handbook of Mineralogy, Volume III. Halides, Hydroxides, Oxides. Mineral Data Publishing, Tucson, AZ, 628pp.: 72.

Cooper, M. A. and Hawthorne, F. C. (2000): Boleite: revision of the formula, KPb26Ag9Cu24Cl62(OH)48. Canadian Mineralogist 38, 801-808.

Internet Links for Boleite

Search Engines:
  • Look for Boleite on Google
  • Look for Boleite images on Google
    • External Links:
  • Look for Boleite on Webmineral
  • Look for Boleite on Athena Mineralogy
  • Look for Boleite on Wikipedia
  • Look for Boleite on Mineralien Atlas
  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Search for Boleite in the Natural History Museum (London) online catalogue
  • Boleite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
    • Mineral Dealers:
  • Mineral Classics - Worldwide Collector Quality Minerals and Gems
  • Fabre Minerals - search for Boleite specimens
  • Wilensky Fine Minerals
  • Buy from David K Joyce minerals
  • Buy Minerals and Crystals from Crystalarium.com
  • DAKOTA MATRIX offers Cabinet and Rare Species from Worldwide Localities.
  • High-end worldwide specimens & outstanding customer service
  • Rare and Unusual minerals at Mineralogical Research Company
  • Buy minerals from Mineralium.com
  • Buy fine minerals and gemstones from Pala International
  • Buy RARE Minerals from Rocks of Africa
  • Fine Minerals from Dan Weinrich Minerals
    • Jobs:
  • Mining & Geology Jobs

    • Page Sponsor

    Sponsorship:This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.

    Localities for Boleite

    Show Locality List (51 Items)
    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.
    Mineral and/or Locality
    Google
     
    www.mindat.org Web
    Copyright © Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau 1993-2009. Site Map. Locality, mineral & photograph data are the copyright of the individuals who submitted them.Further information contact the Site hosted & developed by Jolyon Ralph. Mindat.org is an online information resource dedicated to providing free mineralogical information to all. Mindat relies on the contributions of hundreds of members and supporters. If you would like to add information to improve the quality of our database, then click here to register. Current server date and time: 17th Nov 2009 22:34:26