Serpierite

Ca(Cu, Zn)4(SO4 )2 (OH)6 • 3H2 O
c 2001-2005 Mineral Data Publishing, version 1

Crystal Data: Monoclinic, pseudo-orthorhombic. Point Group: 2/m. Crystals are lathlike,elongated along [010], flattened on {100}, with {101}, {311}, {311}, other minor forms, to 5 mm,
in tufted aggregates and botryoidal fibrous masses.
Physical Properties:D(calc.) = 3.08

Cleavage: Perfect on {100}. Hardness = n.d. D(meas.) = 3.07

Optical Properties: Transparent. Color: Sky-blue; greenish blue in transmitted light.
Luster: Vitreous, pearly on cleavages.
Optical Class: Biaxial (–). Pleochroism: X = nearly colorless, pale green; Y = bluish green;Z = deep greenish blue, blue-green. Orientation: Y = b; X ∧ a = 24◦ , Z ' c. Dispersion: r > v,strong. α = 1.584(3) β = 1.642(3) γ = 1.647(3) 2V(meas.) = 35(2)◦ 2V(calc.) = 37◦
Cell Data: Space Group: C2/c. a = 22.186(2)β = 113.36(1)◦ Z = 8

b = 6.250(2)c = 21.853(2)X-ray Powder Pattern: Laurium, Greece; similar to devilline.
10.22 (vs), 5.09 (s), 3.386 (s), 2.708 (ms), 2.650 (ms), 2.440 (ms), 4.744 (m)Chemistry:SO3CuO
ZnO

(1)
24.29
36.12
13.95

(2)
24.78
24.62
25.19

CaO
H2 O

(1)
8.00
16.75

(2)
8.68
16.73

Total 99.11
100.00(1) Laurium, Greece; corresponds to Ca0.93 (Cu2.96 Zn1.12 )Σ=4.08 (SO4 )1.98 (OH)6.06 • 3.03H2 O.
(2) Ca(Cu, Zn)4 (SO4 )2 (OH)6 • 3H2 O with Cu:Zn = 1:1.
Polymorphism & Series:

Dimorphous with orthoserpierite.

Occurrence: A secondary mineral in the oxidized zone of hydrothermal Cu–Zn-bearinghydrothermal mineral deposits; commonly a post-mine product.
Association: Smithsonite, devilline, posnjakite, ktenasite, linarite, langite, brochantite,wroewolfeite, namuwite, schulenbergite, hydrozincite, malachite, gypsum.
Distribution: From the Kamariza mine, Laurium, Greece. On Ross Island, Lough Leane, Co.
Kerry, Ireland. In England, in the Waterbank mine, Ecton, Staffordshire; from the Potts Gill
and other mines, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria; at the Smallcleugh mine, Nenthead, Northumberland.
From the West Blackcraig mine, near Newton Stewart, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. At theFriedrichssegen mine, near Bad Ems, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Rich masses from thePrince Leopold mine, Kipushi, 28 km southwest of Lubumbashi, Katanga Province, Congo (ShabaProvince, Zaire). At Tsumeb, Namibia. In the USA, in Colorado, large crystals from the Bulldog
Mountain mine, Creede district, Mineral Co., at the Titusville mine, San Juan Co., and a numberof other places; from the Bay Horse mine, Challis, Custer Co., Idaho; in the Linchburg mine, ninekm south of Magdalena, Socorro Co., New Mexico. From the Otoño mine, Caborca, Sonora,Mexico. At Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. A number of additional minor localities arenow known.
Name: Honors Giovanni Battista Serpieri (1832–1897), Italian engineer, who helped to reopen
the ancient mines at Laurium, Greece.
Type Material:

Natural History Museum, Paris, France, 73.38, 78.226.

References: (1) Palache, C., H. Berman, and C. Frondel (1951) Dana’s system of mineralogy,(7th edition), v. II, 592–593. (2) Faraone, D., C. Sabelli, and P.F. Zanazzi (1967) Su du solfati
basici idrati: serpierite e devillite. Atti Rend. Accad. Lincei, 43, 369–382 (in Italian with Englishabs.). (3) Sabelli, C. and P.F. Zanazzi (1968) The structure of serpierite. Acta Cryst., 24,1214–1221. (4) Krause, W. and H. Täuber (1992) Zum Kenntnisstand der Minerale Serpierit,Orthoserpierit und Devillin. Aufschluss, 43(1), 1–25 (in German).
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