Click on a letter above to view the list of gems.  

Descloizite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

Chemistry:  Pb(Zn,Cu)[OH|VO₄]  [Lead Zinc Vanadate Hydroxide]

Discovered in 1854;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
Descloizite is named in honor of Alfred Lewis Oliver Legrand Des Cloizeaux (1817–1897), Professor of Mineralogy, University of Paris, Paris, France, who first described the mineral.

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Phosphates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

7/B.27-20

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

8.BH.40

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H₂O
H : With medium-sized and large cations, (OH,etc.):RO₄ = 1:1

Related to:

Adelite - Descloizite Group. Descloizite - Mottramite Series. The zinc analogue of Mottramite. The vanadate analogue of Arsendesloizite.

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal

Crystal Habit:

As crystals, equant or pyramidal, prismatic or tabular, many others, rarely skeletal, to 5 cm, commonly in drusy crusts, stalactitic or botryoidal, coarsely fibrous, granular to compact, massive.

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

None observed

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven, Sub-Conchoidal

Tenacity:

Brittle

Hardness (Mohs):

3.0 - 3.5

Density:

~6.20 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

None

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Other:

Readily soluble in acids

Optical Properties

Color:

Brownish Red, Red-Orange, Reddish Brown to Blackish Brown, nearly Black. Crystals often exhibit zonal growth with varying colors.

Transparency:

Transparent to Opaque

Luster:

Greasy

Refractive Index:

2.185 - 2.35  Biaxial ( - ), rarely Biaxial ( + )

Birefringence:

0.1650

Dispersion:

Strong; r > v, rarely r < v

Pleochroism:

Weak to Strong; X = Y = canary-yellow to greenish yellow; Z = brownish yellow

Occurances

Geological Setting:

A secondary mineral in the oxidized zone of vanadium-bearing base metal deposits; rarely an ore of vanadium.

Common Associations:

Cerussite, Mimetite, Mottramite, Pyromorphite, Vanadinite, Wulfenite

Common Impurities:

Cu

Type Locality:

Sierra de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina

Year Discovered:

1854

View mineral photos:

Descloizite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Descloizite is an extremely rare gem. It is the zinc rich end member of the Descloizite-Mottramite series with Mottramite being the Copper rich end member. Descloizite is also a rare and attractive mineral specimen for collectors.

Descloizite is found at many localities worldwide including the Type Locality of Sierra de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina. At Los Lamentos and Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico. In the USA, in the Mammoth-St. Anthony mine, Tiger, Pinal County, and from Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona; in the Caballo Mountains district, Sierra County, and several mines around Georgetown, Grant County, New Mexico; from the Chalk Mountain mine, Churchill County, Nevada. Large crystals from an economic deposit at Berg Aukas, near Grootfontein; at Abenab; from Tsumeb, Namibia. At Kabwe (Broken Hill), Zambia. From M'fouti and Ruwe, Congo Republic. In the Gowde mine, Great Salt Desert, Iran. At Obir, Carinthia, Austria. From Mežica (Mies), Slovenia. In the Prequica mine, Cobral d’Adrea, Portugal.
 

  
Descloizite gems for sale:

We have not photographed our Descloizite gems. Please check back soon.