Reinerite

Reinerite is a rare arsenite (arsenate(III)) mineral with chemical formula Zn₃(AsO₃)₂.[2][3] It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system.

Reinerite
General
Category	arsenite
Formula (repeating unit)	Zn3(AsO3)2
Strunz classification	4.JA.10
Crystal system	Orthorhombic
Crystal class	Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
Space group	Pbam (no. 55)
Unit cell	a = 6.092 Å, b = 14.407 Å c = 7.811 Å; Z = 4 V = 685.55 a:b:c = 0.423 : 1 : 0.542
Identification
Color	Sky blue, yellow green
Crystal habit	Rough striated pseudohexagonal crystals
Cleavage	Good on {110}, {011} and {111}
Mohs scale hardness	5 - 5.5
Luster	Vitreous to adamantine
Diaphaneity	Transparent
Specific gravity	4.27
Optical properties	Biaxial (-)
Refractive index	nα = 1.740 nβ = 1.790 nγ = 1.820
Birefringence	Maxium δ = 0.080
Other characteristics	Relief: very high
References	[1][2][3][4]

Physical properties

Reinerite is most commonly found as a sky blue colored mineral, however, it may also be a light yellowish green color. Reinerite has a relative hardness of 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs Scale which is equivalent to that of a knife blade and or shard of glass. It has a density of 4.27 g/cm³,[1] and it exhibits a nonmetallic luster that may be described as glassy or vitreous.[5]

Environment

Reinerite develops in dolomite-hosted locations. It is known especially from Namibia, Africa, within the mines of Tsumeb. At the Tsumeb location, Reinerite develops within the polymetallic lead-zinc-copper deposit, 800 m (2,600 ft) below the surface, in the second oxidation zone.[4] It occurs in association with chalcocite, bornite, willemite, smithsonite, hydrozincite, hemimorphite, adamite, olivenite and gebhardite.[2]

History

Reinerite was first described in 1958 for an occurrence in the Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Namibia and named for senior chemist Willy Reiner (1895–1965) of Tsumeb Corporation, who analyzed this mineral.[1][3]

References

1. Webmineral data
2. Handbook of Mineralogy
3. Mindat.org
4. American Mineralogist
5. Lutgens, Frederick, and Edward Tarbuck. Essentials of Geology. 10th. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. 42. Print.