Jun 3 2014
Paradamite is dimorphous with adamite, and isostructural with tarbuttite.
It was named after the Greek word para, which means ‘near’, indicating its dimorphous relationship to adamite.
Properties of Paradamite
The following are the key properties of Paradamite:
- Cell Data
- Space Group: P1
- a = 5.638(3)
- b = 5.827(3)
- c = 6.692(2)
- α = 103.25(4)°
- β = 104.37(3)°
- γ = 87.72(4)°
- Z = 2
- Crystal Data
- Triclinic
- Point Group: 1
- Rarely as equant crystals, striated and rounded; in sheaf-like aggregates, to 1cm
- X-ray powder pattern: 6.33 (10), 3.71 (10), 2.99 (9), 2.84 (9), 2.49 (8), 3.08 (7), 2.11 (7)
- Chemical Composition
| Elements |
Content 1 |
Content 2 |
| ZnO |
56.22 |
56.77 |
| As2O5 |
40.17 |
40.09 |
| H2O+ |
3.44 |
3.14 |
| FeO |
0.45 |
- |
| Fe2O3 |
0.12 |
- |
| Total |
100.4 |
100 |
- Optical Properties
- Optical Class: Biaxial (–)
- α = 1.726(2)
- β = 1.771(2)
- γ = 1.780(2)
- 2V(meas.) = 50°
- Estimated Properties
| Electron density |
Bulk density (electron density) = 4.28 g/cm3
note: Specific gravity of Paradamite = 4.58 g/cm3 |
| Photoelectric |
PEParadamite = 41.42 barns/electron
U = PEParadamite x ρElectron density = 177.34 barns/cm3 |
| Fermion index |
Fermion index = 0.01
Boson index = 0.99 |
Radioactivity
|
Paradamite is not radioactive
|
How to Identify Paradamite
Paradamite can be found in a light yellow color. It is transparent, and has a white streak, vitreous luster, and perfect cleavage.
The density of paradamite is 4.55 g/cm3, and its relative hardeness is 3.5.
Global Distribution
Paradamite is distributed in the following places:
- Ojuela mine, Mapim´i, Durango, Mexico
- Tsumeb, Namibia
Occurrence of Paradamite and Useful Mineral Association
Paradamite occurs as a rare secondary mineral in the oxidized zone of some hydrothermal, polymetallic base-metal deposits.
References