THE ARSEN MIMETITE: a lead Arsenate species: (+) char radical

THE ARSEN
ARSENATES (continued) MIMETITE - CHINA
MIMETITE: a lead Arsenate species: (+) charged lead atoms combined with ((--) charged arsenate
radical (AsO4) in a 5 : 3 : 1 ratio = Pb5(AsO4)3Cl
ARS-ATE-MIM-1.
1. (left) MIMETITE –
MINIATURE - PINGTOULING MINE,
CHINA: This choice miniature
m
sized brightly
colored arsenate specimen displays two
different crystal shapes.
shapes Found in Quingyan
Prefecture, Guangdong Province, China.
Arsenates
rsenates are so hard for nature to make
that their crystals are usually small.
Specimen
n measures 2” high and 1.5” wide.
wide
–Joe Budd photograph
hotograph
ARS-ATE-MIM-2. (right) MIMETITE – ORANGE
CRYSTALS: All the arsenate species are top priority
collector items because of their distinct colors
colors, rare
occurrence and delightful hexagonal crystallography.
Note the internal glow in these intensely ccolored, 6sided Mimetite crystals from PINGTOULING MINE,
Quingyan Prefecture,, Guangdong Province, China.
Specimen measures 2” by 2”. Dr. Guanghua Liu, who is a
professor at Tubingen University in Germany
Germany, published
the definitive and iconic photo book on Chinese speci
specimens
entitled Fine Minerals of China.. He published a photo of
this specimen on page 69. -Joe
Joe Budd photograph
FOUR SPECIES WITH A 5 : 3 : 1 RATIO IN THEIR HEADINGS: There are four extremely
extrem popular and very
colorful species that are among the fifteen top species on the crystal collector’s Hit Parade. These four species are
Mimetite, Vanadinite, Pyromorphite,, and Apatite. Amazingly, these four species all have a 5 : 3 : 1 ratio in their
formulas, and thus, they all produce 6-sided,
sided, hexagonal crystals.
The number “5” in the above mentioned ratio
represents the number of metal atoms; the number
“3” represents the number of ATE molecules = the
second metal element combined with oxygen. [In
Mimetite’s case, this is the number of arsenate
(AsO4) molecules.] All four species then have one
atom of either fluorine or chlorine to represent the
number “1” ratio number.
ARS-ATE-MIM-3. MIMETITE: (left) This best of
all, miniature-sized
sized specimen displays a huge and
rare 1” twinned crystal. Pingtouling Mine, China.
-Jeff Scovil photograph
246
ARSENATES (continued) MIMETITES
AUSTRALIA AND MEXICO
ARS-ATE-MIM-4. MIMETITE - YELLOWGREEN CRYSTALS: The Elura mine in
Australia produced only a few bright crystal
specimens. Within a few days after this
unique specimen with yellow-green crystals
was found, the entire mine caved in and
closed. Specimen measures 2.5” by 2.5”.
-Lynn Sim photograph
ARS-ATE-MIM-5. MIMETITE – GREEN BOTRYOIDAL BALLS – THE SANTA EULALIA MINE, MEXICO:
Vug measures 2.25” wide; specimen measures 3” high by 3.75” wide.
-Jeff Scovil photograph
247