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Anglesite

 

Anglesite

 

Discovered in 1832;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered)

 

Chemistry

 

 

Chemical Formula:

PbSO4

 

Lead Sulfate

Molecular Weight:

303.26 gm

Composition:

Lead

68.32 %

Pb

73.60 %

PbO

 

Sulfur

10.57 %

S

26.40 %

SO3

 

Oxygen

21.10 %

O

 

 

 

 

100.00 %

 

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

 

 

Classification

   

   

Mineral Classification:

Sulfates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

6/A.09-50

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

7.AD.35

 

7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
A : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without additional anions, without H
2O
D : With only large cations

Related to:

Barite Group. Isostructural with Barite and Celestine.

Members of Group:

Barite Group: Anglesite, Barite, Celestine, Hashemite

Varieties:

Argentiferous Anglesite, Barytoanglesite, Cuprian Anglesite

Synonyms:

Lead Spar, Lead sulphate, Lead Vitriol, Sulphate of Lead, Lead mineralized by vitriolic acid

 

 

Crystal Data

   

   

Crystallography:

Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal

Crystal Habit:

Crystals are typically elongated with rhomboidal cross-section, prismatic with large {210}, vertically striated, or large {011} with {101} and {102}; tabular on {001} or {100}; equant {111} and {211}, may exhibit 20 other minor forms, to 0.5 m. Also nodular, stalactitic, granular, massive, banded around a core of Galena.

Twinning:

None

 

 

Physical Properties

   

 

Cleavage:

Good on {001}, Distinct on {210}, on {010} in traces. Parting: Translation gliding and twin gliding occur (as in Baryte).

Fracture:

Conchoidal

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

2.5 - 3.0

Density:

6.37 - 6.39 (g/cm3)

Luminescence:

May fluoresce Yellow and Golden Yellow under UV.

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Health Warning:

CAUTION: Contains Lead. Wash hands after handling. Do not lick or ingest; do not inhale dust when breaking. Do not grind dry.

 

 

Optical Properties

   

   

Color:

Colorless to White, often tinted Grey, Yellow, Green or Blue, rarely Violet; Colorless in transmitted light.

Transparency:

Transparent, Translucent, Opaque

Luster:

Adamantine, Resinous to Vitreous

Refractive Index:

1.877 - 1.894  Biaxial ( + )

Birefringence:

0.017

Dispersion:

Strong; r < v  (0.044  - equal to diamond)

Pleochroism:

None

 

 

Occurances

   

   

Geological Setting:

Common in the oxidized zone of lead deposits, where it may constitute an important ore.

Common Associations:

Cerussite, Galena, Gypsum, Lanarkite, Leadhillite, Linarite, Massicot, Mimetite, Pyromorphite, Sulphur, Wulfenite

Common Impurities:

Ba, Cu

Type Locality:

Parys Mountain Mines (Paris Mine; Parys Mine; Mona Mine; Morfa Du Mine), Amlwch, Isle of Anglesey (Gwynedd; Anglesey), Wales, UK

Year Discovered:

1832

View mineral photos:

Anglesite Mineral Photos and Locations

 

 

Unusual Gem Categories

   

   

 

Poisonous Gems

 

 

More Information

   

   

 

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

 

 

Anglesite is a rare lead sulfate mineral that is a member of the Barite Group of minerals that includes Anglesite, Barite and Celestine. Anglesite is a very rare and beautiful gem. Colors range from colorless to pale yellow to orange. The dispersion of Anglesite is equal to that of a diamond, so well cut gems are truly magnificent and bright. It is a difficult gem to cut due to its low hardness and good cleavage. Anglesite is a very dense and heavy gem because of its high lead content (68%). The two most notable locations for gem quality crystals are Tsumeb, Namibia and Touissit, Morocco.

Anglesite was named in 1832 by Francois Sulpice Beudant (1787 - 1850), French mineralogist and geologist, for the type locality, the Parys Mine on the Island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn) in Wales, U.K.

There are a few localities for well-crystallized Anglesite specimens. They include: the Type Locality at Parys Mountain, Anglesey, Wales. In England, at Matlock and Cromford, Derbyshire, and Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria. From Leadhills, Lanarkshire, and Wanlockhead, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. At Bleiberg, Carinthia, Austria. From Mežica (Mies), Slovenia. In Germany, at M¨usen, Littlefeld, Siegen, and other places in Siegerland. From Monteponi and Montevecchio, near Iglesias, Sardinia. In Russia, at Beresovsk, near Yekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk), Middle Ural Mountains, and at Nerchinsk, Siberia. From Sidi-Amor-ben-Salem, Tunisia. Fine crystals at the Touissit mine, near Oujda, Morocco. Very large crystals from Tsumeb, and in the Kombat Cu–Pb–Ag mine, 49 km south of Tsumeb, Namibia. In the USA, from the Wheatley mine, Phoenixville, Chester County, Pennsylvania; in Idaho, from the Bunker Hill mine, Coeur d’Alene district, in the Hypotheek mine, south of Kingston, and the Last Chance and Tyler mines, Wardner, Shoshone County; in the Eureka Hill mine, Tintic district, Juab County, Utah; from the Grand Reef mine, Graham County, Arizona. In Mexico, from Los Lamentos, Chihuahua; in the Amelia mine, Santa Rosalia, Baja California; at San Felipe Canyon, Aconchi, Sonora. In Australia, large crystals from Broken Hill, New South Wales, and at Dundas, Tasmania.

Anglesite gems for sale:

Anglesite-001

Gem:

Anglesite

Stock #:

ANGLE-001

Weight:

0.17 ct

Size:

2.98 x 1.65 mm

Shape:

Round Brillian

Color:

Colorless

Clarity:

Eye Clean

Origin:

Touissit, Morocco

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

SOLD  (but we have others)

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Anglesite-001

A rare gem from an unusual location. This little gem is eye clean and well faceted.

 

 


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