NADORITE

    Class : Halides
    Subclass : Oxychlorides
    Crystal system : Orthorhombic
    Chemistry : PbSbO2Cl
    Rarity : Very rare

Nadorite is a very rare oxidation mineral from antimony deposits. It is also found in certain industrial slags. It was particularly abundant in its type locality, the zinc deposit of Djebel Nador in Algeria, which also gave it its name. Most of the time it appears in earthy coatings, it exceptionally forms tabular or prismatic crystals measuring up to 4 cm, as well as radiated aggregates. It has a resinous luster and perfect cleavage according to {010}, its color is brown to yellow-brown or even yellow. Nadorite has no industrial use : its role as antimony ore in Jebel Nador is a unique exception.

Main photo : Nadorite from Jebel Nador, Algeria © Rob Lavinsky

Nadorite from Jebel Nador, Algeria © Enrico Bonacina
Nadorite from Långban Mine, Sweden © Stephan Wolfsried
Nadorite from Touissit, Morocco © Rob Lavinsky
Nadorite from the Waitschach slag, Austria © Fritz Schreiber

Nadorite in the World

The best known samples of nadorite come from its type locality : Djebel Nador (Algeria), where yellow tabular crystals measuring 4 cm were discovered. Very rare but spectacular centimeter-sized crystals are also known from Touissit (Morocco) and from the polymetallic veins of English Cornwall. Finally, very beautiful transparent microcrystals come from Langban (Sweden).

Nadorite in France

Nadorite is not present in the French underground.

Twinning

Twins on {101} are common.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes recorded for this mineral species.


Hardness : 3.5 to 4
Density : 7.02
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : White to yellow

TP : Translucent
RI : 2.300 to 2.400
Birefringence : 0.060 to 0.100
Optical character : Biaxial +
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None

Solubility : -

Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None

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