Images
Formula: KPb2Cl5
Anhydrous chloride
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 4.77 calculated
Hardness: 2 to 3
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless to white
Luminescence: Not fluorescent under UV
Solubility: Soluble in water
Environments
Hydrothermal environments
Fumeroles
Localities
At the type locality, the Lolón Main Mine, Cerro Challacollo, Pozo Almonte, Tamarugal Province, Tarapacá, Chile,
challacolloite occurs as a hydrothermal mineral in the epithermal vein-type
silver deposit, intergrown with
cotunnite and a mixture of
boleite and pseudoboleite in
aggregates up to 4 mm in size comprised of subparallel intergrowths of bent lamellae, 25 µm in width, 50 µm in
length. It is also associated with hemimorphite,
caracolite, anglesite,
nitratine, anhydrite and
fluorite in quartz vugs. The
challacolloite is a product of fumarole activity, on cavernous
leucite-tephritic lava
(AM 91.8.1452-1453, HOM).
Challacolloite from the Lolón Main Mine -
Image
At Mount Vesuvius, Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, Italy, challacolloite is found as a sublimate near
volcanic fumaroles, associated with cotunnite as a crust, and as
botryoidal aggregates in a
leucite-tephritic lava. The
aggregates
are comprised of subparallel intergrowths of bent lamellae, 25 µm in width and 50 µm in length. Associated minerals
include cotunnite, boleite,
pseudoboleite,
hemimorphite, caracolite,
anglesite, nitratine,
anhydrite and fluorite
(AM 91.8.1452-1453, HOM).
Challacolloite from Vesuvius - Image
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