Formula: Hg1+6Si2O7
Sorosilicate (Si2O7 groups)
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 9.4 measured, 9.11 calculated
Hardness: 4
Streak: Pale green with a yellow tinge
Colour: Freshly exposed material is lemon-yellow to orangish yellow; exposed surfaces range from dark olive-green to a
lighter yellowish green to dark green-brown
Solubility: Soluble in cold 1:10 hydrochloric acid, and 1:1 nitric acid
Environments
Edgarbaileyite is a secondary mineral, probably resulting from
reaction between mercury and quartz under
unknown conditions. Associated minerals include mercury,
cinnabar, montroydite,
terlinguaite, eglestonite,
calcite, quartz and
baryte
(HOM, MR 21.215-220).
Localities
At the Mariquita Mine (Sultana Mine), Usagre, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain, edgarbaileyite occurs in two
different habits:
(1) pulverulent to microcrystalline crusts of a vivid canary-yellow colour, associated with
calomel, calcite,
terlinguaite and
eglestonite.
(2) less commonly as brownish yellow to reddish brown globular and rounded masses to 3 mm, in groups to several
millimeters, associated with terlinguaite,
eglestonite, montroydite
and native mercury
(MinRec 55.4.498).
Edgarbaileyite from the Mariquita Mine -
Image
At the type locality, Clear Creek claim, Goat Mountain, New Idria Mining District, San Benito county, California, USA,
edgarbaileyite occurs as thin crusts on fracture surfaces, disseminated rounded to mammillary masses, and hollow
mammillary nodules. It is most closely associated with native mercury and
montroydite in a host rock composed principally of
quartz, magnesite and
chalcedony. Other associated minerals include
terlinguaite, quartz,
eglestonite, cinnabar,
calcite and baryte. Edgarbaileyite
is one of the latest minerals in the paragenetic sequence and is found near the centre of the
quartz veins that transect the host rock
(MR 21.215-220, Mindat).
Edgarbaileyite from Clear Creek - Image
At the Socrates Mine, Castle Rock Springs area, West Mayacmas Mining District, Sonoma county, California, USA,
edgarbaileyite has been identified as thin crusts on fracture surfaces, as disseminated rounded to mammillary masses
in small cavities, and as hollow mammillary nodules; it is most closely associated with
chalcedony, native mercury,
cinnabar and montroydite in a host
rock composed principally of magnesite and
quartz. Edgarbaileyite has been found replacing
quartz crystals in situ. It is one of the latest minerals in the
paragenetic sequence and is found near the centre of the quartz veins that
transect the host rock. Some veinlets of edgarbaileyite have been found that were altered to a homogeneous mixture
of montroydite and quartz
(MR 21.215-220).
Edgarbaileyite from the Socrates Mine
Image
At Terlingua, Brewster County, Texas, USA, edgarbaileyite occurs on a museum specimen as ill-formed tabular
aggregates and sheaves of crystals in cavities and fractures; it consists of intergrown chrystals of
montroydite, terlinguaite,
eglestonite and edgarbaileyite in a matrix of
calcite, quartz and
baryte
(Minrec 21.215-220).
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