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Sauconite

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CAM532383

Sauconite

Classic Locality

Description Tabs

Description
Locality: 
Altenberg Mine, Kelmis, Verviers, Liège Province, Belgium
Class: 
Massive/Crystalline
Size Range: 
Miniature (4.5-7 cm)
Size: 
5.5 × 3.5 × 2.5 cm
Description

Once the largest Zinc mine in Europe, the Altenberg Open Pit was closed in 1884 and specimens are nowadays very rare. This locality is the Type Locality for three species; Willemite, Hopeite and Fraipontite. In 1865 another new species was described by H. Risse and named moresnetite after Moresnet, a town near to the Type Locality. Moresnetite was discredited as a species in the 1950's when new analysis of the original material had shown it was a mixture of sauconite and hemimorphite.                                                                                      

As with all minerals from the Altenberg (Vieille Montagne), samples are very rare today as nothing came out of the mine after 1884. This sample of massive green nickel-rich moresnetite is very rare and comes with a nice old label.

 

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Sauconite

Formula: 
Na0.3Zn3((Si,Al)4O10)(OH)2·4H2O
Strunz: 
9.EC.45
Hardness: 
1.0 - 2.0
Type Locality: 
Friedensville Mine, Friedensville, Saucon Valley, Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh Co., Pennsylvania, USA
Cartils Minerals

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