GAITITE

    Class : Phosphates, arsenates, vanadates
    Subclass : Hydrated arsenates
    Crystal system : Triclinic
    Chemistry : Ca2Zn(AsO4)2 2H2O
    Rarity : Very rare

Gaitite is an extremely rare arsenate of calcium and zinc, present in the deep oxidation zone of Tsumeb (Namibia). It forms a series with fairfieldite and constitutes a series with talmessite, in which zinc is replaced by magnesium. It was named in honor of the mineralogist Robert Irwin Gait, Curator of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto (Canada). Gaitite forms rare crystals of 1 mm at most, and zoned coatings with talmessite, always white in color.

Main photo : Gaitite from Cogolla Alta mine, Andalusia, Spain © Christian Rewitzer

Gaitite in the World

Gaitite was described at Tsumeb (Namibia) its type locality, but nice samples are also known in Laurion (Greece), at the Cogolla Alta mine (Spain), as well as at Twin Creeks Mine (Nevada) which provided the best specimens to date.

Right photo : Gaitite on calcite from Twin Creeks Mine, Nevada, USA © Jeff Wiessman

Gaitite in France

Gaitite is not present in the French underground.

Twinning

No twin known for this mineral species.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes recorded for this mineral species.


Hardness : 5
Density : 3.81
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : White

TP : Translucent
RI : 1.713 to 1.748
Birefringence : 0.035
Optical character : Biaxial +
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None

Solubility : -


Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None