SPENCERITE

    Class : Phosphates, arsenates, vanadates
    Subclass : Hydrated phosphates
    Crystal system : Monoclinic
    Chemistry : Zn4(PO4)2(OH)2 3H2O
    Rarity : Very rare

Spencerite is a very rare zinc phosphate, forming significant samples only in its type deposit at the Hudson Bay mine (Canada), where this mineral was found associated with hopeite and hemimorphite in an oxidation pocket of zinc ore. It was named in honor of Leonard James Spencer, British mineralogist and Curator of the Department of Mineralogy at the British Museum in London. Spencerite frequently occurs in stalactitic masses with a lamellar structure, sometimes in elongated lamellar crystals, with a lanceolate termination of 2 cm maximum. Its color is white to very pale green.

Main photo : Spencerite from the Hudson Bay Mine, British Columbia, Canada © Dan Weinrich

Spencerite in the World

The best crystals come from the Hudson Bay Mine in British Columbia (Canada). It is also reported from the Golden Eagle Pit (Botswana) and the Kabwe Mine (Zambia).

Spencerite in France

Spencerite is not present in the French underground.

Twinning

Twinning is known with {100} as the composition plane, sometimes polysynthetic.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes listed for this mineral species.


Hardness : 3
Density : 3.12 to 3.14
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : White

TP : Translucent to transparent
RI : 1.586 to 1.606
Birefringence : 0.020
Optical character : Biaxial -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None

Solubility : Acids

Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None