Versiliaite and apuanite, two new minerals from the Apuan Alps, Italy

M. Mellini; S. Merlino; P. Orlandi

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Other| December 01, 1979

Versiliaite and apuanite, two new minerals from the Apuan Alps, Italy

M. Mellini;

M. Mellini

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S. Merlino;

S. Merlino

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P. Orlandi

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Author and Article Information

M. Mellini

S. Merlino

P. Orlandi

Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America

First Online: 02 Mar 2017

Online ISSN: 1945-3027

Print ISSN: 0003-004X

American Mineralogist (1979) 64 (11-12): 1230–1234.

Abstract

Two new minerals, versiliaite and apuanite, were found in the Buca della Vena mine on the Apuan Alps (Italy). The minerals generally occur as massive black aggregates in veinlets within layers of dolomite.

Versiliaite, $({Fe}_{4.65}^{2 +} {Zn}_{1.04} {Fe}_{4.65}^{2 +} {Fe}_{2.43}^{3 +}) ({Fe}_{2.90}^{3 +} {Sb}_{11.76}^{3 +} {As}_{1.34}^{3 +}) O_{32} S_{1.33}$ ⁠, has space group Pbam or Pba2, a = 8.499(2), b = 8.326(2), c = 11.935(2)A, density 5.12 g cm^-3. The strongest lines in the powder pattern are: 3.196(100), 3.167(97), 2.972(81), 2.682(40), 1.946(40), 1.652(33).

Apuanite, $({Fe}_{4.15}^{2 +} {Zn}_{0.32} {Fe}_{7.40}^{3 +}) ({Fe}_{6.87}^{3 +} {Sb}_{15.64}^{3 +} {As}_{1.49}^{3 +}) O_{48} S_{3.57}$ ⁠, has space group P4₂/mbc, a = 8.367(2), b = 17.959(6)A, density 5.33 g cm⁻³. The strongest lines in the powder pattern are 3.168(100), 2.957(43), 2.646(23), 2.434(17), 1.922(47), 1.647(30). The chemical, crystallographic, and structural data indicate a close relationship of the new minerals with schafarzikite.