Richetite
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About Richetite
Formula:
(Fe3+,Mg)Pb 8.6(UO2)36O36(OH)24•41H2O
The correct formula (the structural one, simplified) is (Fe,Mg)0.5Pb4.5(U5+(UO2)17O18(OH)14](H2O)~19.5 (Plášil, 2017).
Colour:
Coffee-brown to black, green
Lustre:
Adamantine
Hardness:
3½
Crystal System:
Triclinic
Name:
Named after Emile Richet (born in Lessines, Belgium on 16 April 1884, died in Brussels on 25 May 1938), Chief Geologist, Union Miniere du Haut-Katanga.
Richetite is one of three minerals with pentavalent uranium, the other two being wyartite and shinkolobweite (Plášil, 2017).
Classification of Richetite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
4/H.07-60
4.GB.15
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
G : Uranyl Hydroxides
B : With additional cations (K, Ca, Ba, Pb, etc.); with mainly UO2(O,OH)5 pentagonal polyhedra
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
G : Uranyl Hydroxides
B : With additional cations (K, Ca, Ba, Pb, etc.); with mainly UO2(O,OH)5 pentagonal polyhedra
5.9.5.1
5 : OXIDES CONTAINING URANIUM OR THORIUM
9 : Miscellaneous
5 : OXIDES CONTAINING URANIUM OR THORIUM
9 : Miscellaneous
7.16.25
7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
16 : Oxides of U
7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
16 : Oxides of U
Physical Properties of Richetite
Optical Data of Richetite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.900 nβ = 2.000 nγ = 2.000
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.100

Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
Very High
Dispersion:
dispersion not observed
Chemical Properties of Richetite
Formula:
(Fe3+,Mg)Pb 8.6(UO2)36O36(OH)24•41H2O
The correct formula (the structural one, simplified) is (Fe,Mg)0.5Pb4.5(U5+(UO2)17O18(OH)14](H2O)~19.5 (Plášil, 2017).
The correct formula (the structural one, simplified) is (Fe,Mg)0.5Pb4.5(U5+(UO2)17O18(OH)14](H2O)~19.5 (Plášil, 2017).
IMA Formula:
(Fe3+,Mg)xPb2+8.6(UO2)36O36(OH)24 · 41H2O
Crystallography of Richetite
Crystal System:
Triclinic
Cell Parameters:
a = 20.81 Å, b = 12.06 Å, c = 16.3 Å
α = 103.8°, β = 115.1°, γ = 90.4°
α = 103.8°, β = 115.1°, γ = 90.4°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1.726 : 1 : 1.352
Unit Cell V:
3,570.24 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Type Occurrence of Richetite
Other Language Names for Richetite
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping
4.GB.05 | Agrinierite | K2(Ca,Sr)[(UO2)3O3(OH)2]2 · 5H2O | Orth. |
4.GB.05 | Compreignacite | K2(UO2)6O4(OH)6 · 7H2O | Orth. |
4.GB.05 | Rameauite | K2Ca(H[3]2O)(H[5]2O)4[(UO2)6O6(OH)4](H[4]2O) | Mon. m : Bb |
4.GB.10 | Becquerelite | Ca(UO2)6O4(OH)6 · 8H2O | Orth. mm2 : Pna21 |
4.GB.10 | Billietite | Ba(UO2)6O4(OH)6 · 4-8H2O | Orth. mm2 |
4.GB.10 | Protasite | Ba(UO2)3O3(OH)2 · 3H2O | Mon. |
4.GB.20 | Bauranoite | Ba(UO2)2(OH)6 · 1-2H2O | |
4.GB.20 | Calciouranoite | (Ca,Ba,Pb)U2O7 · 5H2O | |
4.GB.20 | Metacalciouranoite | (Ca,Ba,Pb,K2)U2O7 · 2H2O | |
4.GB.25 | Fourmarierite | Pb(UO2)4O3(OH)4 · 4H2O | Orth. |
4.GB.30 | Wölsendorfite | Pb7(UO2)14O19(OH)4 · 12H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Cmcm |
4.GB.35 | Masuyite | Pb(UO2)3O3(OH)2 · 3H2O | Orth. |
4.GB.40 | Metavandendriesscheite | PbU7O22 · nH2O n < 12 | Orth. |
4.GB.40 | Vandendriesscheite | PbU7O22 · 12H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbca |
4.GB.45 | Vandenbrandeite | Cu(UO2)(OH)4 | Tric. 1 : P1 |
4.GB.50 | Sayrite | Pb2(UO2)5O6(OH)2 · 4H2O | Mon. |
4.GB.55 | Curite | Pb3(UO2)8O8(OH)6 · 3H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma |
4.GB.60 | Iriginite | (UO2)Mo2O7 · 3H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcm |
4.GB.65 | Uranosphaerite | Bi(UO2)O2(OH) | Mon. 2/m |
4.GB.70 | Holfertite | CaxU6+2-xTi(O8-xOH4x) · 3H2O | Trig. 3 : P3 |
Related Minerals - Hey's Chemical Index of Minerals Grouping
7.16.1 | Uraninite | UO2 | Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m |
7.16.2 | Schoepite | (UO2)8O2(OH)12 · 12H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbca |
7.16.3 | Paraschoepite | UO3 · 2H2O | Orth. |
7.16.4 | Metaschoepite | (UO2)8O2(OH)12 · 10H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
7.16.5 | Metastudtite | UO4 · 2H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma |
7.16.6 | Studtite | [(UO2)(O2)(H2O)2] · H2O | Mon. |
7.16.7 | Ianthinite | U4+(UO2)5O7 · 10H2O | Orth. mm2 : Amm2 |
7.16.8 | Compreignacite | K2(UO2)6O4(OH)6 · 7H2O | Orth. |
7.16.9 | Vandenbrandeite | Cu(UO2)(OH)4 | Tric. 1 : P1 |
7.16.10 | Roubaultite | Cu2(UO2)3(CO3)2O2(OH)2•4H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
7.16.11 | Becquerelite | Ca(UO2)6O4(OH)6 · 8H2O | Orth. mm2 : Pna21 |
7.16.12 | Rameauite | K2Ca(H[3]2O)(H[5]2O)4[(UO2)6O6(OH)4](H[4]2O) | Mon. m : Bb |
7.16.13 | Agrinierite | K2(Ca,Sr)[(UO2)3O3(OH)2]2 · 5H2O | Orth. |
7.16.14 | Protasite | Ba(UO2)3O3(OH)2 · 3H2O | Mon. |
7.16.15 | Billietite | Ba(UO2)6O4(OH)6 · 4-8H2O | Orth. mm2 |
7.16.16 | Bauranoite | Ba(UO2)2(OH)6 · 1-2H2O | |
7.16.17 | Metacalciouranoite | (Ca,Ba,Pb,K2)U2O7 · 2H2O | |
7.16.18 | Calciouranoite | (Ca,Ba,Pb)U2O7 · 5H2O | |
7.16.19 | Orthobrannerite | U4+U6+Ti4O12(OH)2 | Orth. |
7.16.20 | Thorutite | (Th,U,Ca)Ti2(O,OH)6 | Mon. |
7.16.21 | Davidite-(La) | (La,Ce)(Y,U,Fe)(Ti,Fe)20(O,OH)38 | Trig. |
7.16.22 | Davidite-(Ce) | (Ce,La)(Y,U,Fe)(Ti,Fe)20(O,OH)38 | Trig. 3 : R3 |
7.16.23 | Brannerite | UTi2O6 | Mon. 2/m : B2/m |
7.16.24 | Fourmarierite | Pb(UO2)4O3(OH)4 · 4H2O | Orth. |
7.16.26 | Curite | Pb3(UO2)8O8(OH)6 · 3H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma |
7.16.27 | Masuyite | Pb(UO2)3O3(OH)2 · 3H2O | Orth. |
7.16.28 | Vandendriesscheite | PbU7O22 · 12H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbca |
7.16.29 | Metavandendriesscheite | PbU7O22 · nH2O n < 12 | Orth. |
7.16.30 | Sayrite | Pb2(UO2)5O6(OH)2 · 4H2O | Mon. |
7.16.31 | Wölsendorfite | Pb7(UO2)14O19(OH)4 · 12H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Cmcm |
7.16.32 | Clarkeite | (Na,Ca,Pb)(UO2)O(OH) · 0-1H2O | Trig. |
7.16.33 | Uranosphaerite | Bi(UO2)O2(OH) | Mon. 2/m |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
References for Richetite
Reference List:
Sort by Year (asc) | by Year (desc) | by Author (A-Z) | by Author (Z-A)
American Mineralogist (1948): 33: 384.
Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie (1984): 107: 581.
American Mineralogist (1985): 70: 1335.
Burns, P.C. (1998b) The structure of richetite, a rare lead uranyl oxide hydrate. Canadian Mineralogist: 36: 187-199.
Burns, P.C. (2005) U 6+ minerals and inorganic compounds: insights into an expanded structural hierarchy of crystal structures. Canadian Mineralogist: 43: 1839-1894.
Plášil, J. (2017): Crystal structure of richetite revisited: crystallographic evidence for the presence of pentavalent uranium. American Mineralogist, 102, 1771-1775.
Internet Links for Richetite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3415.html
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Localities for Richetite
Locality List




All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Australia | |
| Mineralogical and fluid characteristics of ‘Monakoff-Style’ iron–oxide–copper–gold (IOCG) mineralisation in the Cloncurry Area, Queensland. in Abdurrahman, A., J. C. Ø. Andersen, and B. J. Williamson. "Meeting of the Geological Society’s Mineral Deposits Studies Group was held on the 2nd–4th January 2013 at the University of Leicester, UK." Applied Earth Science (Trans. Inst. Min. Metall. B) 121.4 (2012): 214. |
Williams et al 2015; Mineralogical and fluid characteristics of ‘Monakoff-Style’ iron–oxide–copper–gold (IOCG) mineralisation in the Cloncurry Area, Queensland. in Abdurrahman, A., J. C. Ø. Andersen, and B. J. Williamson. "Meeting of the Geological Society’s Mineral Deposits Studies Group was held on the 2nd–4th January 2013 at the University of Leicester, UK." Applied Earth Science (Trans. Inst. Min. Metall. B) 121.4 (2012): 214. | |
Czech Republic | |
| Pauliš P., Kopecký S., Černý P. 2007: Uranové minerály České Republiky a jejich naleziště. 1. část. (Kutna Hora, issue 1) |
| Lapis 2002(7/8), 63-65 |
DR Congo (TL) | |
| Bull.Soc.belge Géol.(1947) 70, B 212-226 |
Finland | |
| Al-Ani, Thair and Pakkanen, Lassi (2013): Mini-Atlas of REE-minerals in Finnish Bedrocks. Geologian Tutkimuskeskus/Geological Survey of Finland. |
France | |
| DE ASCENCAO GUEDES R. (2000). La Lauzière : les espèces minérales, Savoie, France. Le Règne Minéral hors-série n°6, pp. 24-39. Editions du Piat. |
Shinkolobwe Mine, Shinkolobwe, Kambove District, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo