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Formula: Pb2Cu2+4Te6+2O10(OH)2(SO4).H2O
Sulphate, tellurium-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 6.062 calculated
Hardness: 2 to 3
Streak: Pale lime-green
Colour: Lime-green
Luminescence: Does not fluoresce under long wave or short wave UV
Solubility: In cold, dilute hydrochloric acid, bairdite crystals rapidly turn opaque white, and then
dissolve slowly.
Environments
Localities
At the type locality, the Bird Nest drift, Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San
Bernardino county, California, USA, bairdite is very rare and has been confirmed to occur on only four
specimens. Bairdite crystals occur in vugs in quartz in association
with khinite, cerussite,
goethite and hematite. Other
minerals found elsewhere on the specimens include wulfenite and
galena.
Bairdite and most of the other secondary minerals in
the quartz veins are interpreted as having formed from the partial
oxidation of primary sulphides such as
galena and chalcopyrite, and
tellurides such as hessite,
during or following brecciation of the
quartz veins.
Bairdite occurs as diamond-shaped, tabular crystals up to about 250 microns long and 5 microns thick, in
subparallel and fanshaped aggregates
(AM 98.1315-1321).
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