Lotharmeyerite
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Archaeodontosaurus" title="User:Archaeodontosaurus">Didier Descouens</a> (CC BY 3.0)
Mineral NameLotharmeyerite
Chemical FormulaCa(Zn,Mn3+)2(AsO4)2·2H2O
Mohs Hardness3.5
Crystal Systemmonoclinic
Lustervitreous
Streak Colorpale yellow
Cleavagegood on {101}
Fractureuneven
Specific Gravity4.29
Colorsreddish-brown, yellow, orange-brown
Transparencytransparent to translucent
Type LocalityOjuela Mine, Mapimí, Mun. de Mapimí, Durango, Mexico
Mineral GroupArsenates
Usescollector
Associated Mineralschalcophanite, mimetite, adamite
Rarityrare
Description
The image displays tiny, reddish-brown, vitreous lotharmeyerite crystals, approximately 0.3 mm in size, forming drusy coatings on botryoidal masses of dark grey to bluish-black chalcophanite.
Geological Context
Lotharmeyerite is a rare secondary arsenate mineral that forms in the oxidized zones of polymetallic ore deposits, typically in arid environments where arsenic-bearing solutions interact with zinc and calcium.
