ZIPPEITE

    Class : Sulfates, chromates, molybdates
    Subclass : Uranyl sulfates
    Crystal system : Orthorhombic
    Chemistry : K(UO2)2SO4(OH)3 H2O
    Rarity : Fairly common

Zippeite is a uranium sulfate found in the oxidation zone of uranium deposits. It was named after Franz Xavier Maximillian Zippe, an Austrian mineralogist who studied the mineral. Zippeite forms coatings, powdery encrustations, or compact aggregates composed of microscopic lamellar crystals, yellow to orange-red and reddish-brown in color. It is also quite frequently observed in efflorescence in uranium mine galleries. It is a very accessory ore of uranium.

Main photo : Zippeite from Jáchymov, Karlovy Vary District, Czech Republic © Bohuslav Bures

Zippeite in the World

Zippeite is a secondary mineral found in several Czech (Jachymov, Pribram), American (Grants, Moab) and Canadian (Eldorado) uranium mines.

Right photo : Zippeite from Kovágószolos Uranium Mine, Hungary © Zsombor Éva


Zippeite in France

In France, zippeite is known in Rabejac and Mas d'Alary (Hérault), in La Vielle Crouzille (Haute-Vienne) and in Cap Garonne (Var).

Twinning

No twinning known for this mineral species.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes recorded for this mineral species.


Hardness : 2
Density : 4.88
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : Yellow, white

TP : Translucent
RI : 1.550 to 1.765
Birefringence : 0.215
Optical character : Biaxial +
Pleochroism : Visible
Fluorescence : Green

Solubility : Acids

Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : Very strong