Fleischerite
Lead germanium sulphate mineral
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fleischerite is a white to light-reddish pink sulfate mineral. It is named after Michael Fleischer, a co-founder of the International Mineralogical Association.[1] Fleischerite was first recognized as a mineral in 1960. Fleischerite is the namesake of its own mineral group, which also includes schaurteite, despujolsite, mallestigite, and genplesite.[2] It is often confused with dundasite.
| Fleischerite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Sulfate mineral |
| Formula | Pb3Ge(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O |
| IMA symbol | fsh |
| Strunz classification | 7.DF.25 |
| Dana classification | 31.07.06.03 (hydrated silicates containing hydroxyl or halogen) |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal |
| Identification | |
| Color | White, light reddish-pink |
| Crystal habit | Accicular |
| Tenacity | brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 2.5-3 |
| Luster | Sub-vitreous, silky |
| Streak | White |
| Density | 4.3 |
| Birefringence | 0.029 |
| Pleochroism | Non-pleochroic |
Occurrence
Appearance
Fleischerite crystals are very thin and up to 1.5 cm in length. They have a tender reddish hue and form sheets of subparallel individuals or hedgehog-like aggregates.[5]
Paragenesis with other minerals
- When fleischerite, cerussite, and mimetite cover a tennantite matrix, they create a rounded, matte white concretion.
- When a dolostone core is covered with plumbojarosite and mimetite, which give it a greenish hue, fleischerite grows on top of them all.
- Rarely, fleischerite enters paragenesis with alamosite, anglesite, hematite, leadhillite, melanotekite, mimetite, kegelite, larsenite, plumbojarosite, plumbotsumite and queitite.
- Fleischerite also may have paragenesis with other secondary germanium minerals.[5]