Kinoite

kinoite

junitoite

stringhamite

gilalite

Formula: Ca2Cu2Si3O10.2H2O
Sorosilicate (Si2O7 groups)
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 3.13 to 3.19 measured. 3.193 calculated
Hardness: 2½
Streak: Light blue
Colour: Azure blue
Solubility: Decomposed by hydrochloric acid
Common impurities: Mg
Environments:

Metamorphic environments
Hydrothermal environments
Basaltic cavities

Localities

At the Christmas mine, Gila county, Arizona, USA, kinoite is associated with apophyllite and ruizite (Dana, R&M 87.1.50).
At Helvetia, Pima county, Arizona, USA, kinoite is associated with apophyllite (Dana).

At the type locality, the Santa Rita Mountains, Pima County, Arizona, USA, kinoite occurs in veinlets and as crystals embedded in apophyllite in mineralised, brecciated diopside-garnet-calcite-quartz skarn (Mindat, R&M 87.1.50), associated with apophyllite, native copper and copper sulphide minerals. It is clearly contemporaneous with apophyllite and of primary origin (AM55.709). Also native copper is found embedded in apophyllite crystals with kinoite (R&M 87.1.50).

At the Twin Buttes mine, Pima County, Arizona, USA, kinoite is associated with stringhamite, native copper, wollastonite, and an apophyllite group mineral (R&M 87.1.50).

Kinoite from Arizona is related to late-stage retrograde activity that altered a skarn mineral assemblage composed of diopside, grossular, calcite, and quartz. Less common accessory minerals include gilalite, apachite, stringhamite, junitoite, clinohedrite and xonotlite (R&M 86.5.458).

At Calumet, Michigan, USA, kinoite occurs in vesicles in basaltic lava flows and enclosed in quartz and calcite (Dana). It is associated with quartz, calcite, native copper, native silver, epidote, pumpellyite, saponite, datolite and chlorite (HOM, R&M 86.5.458, R&M 87.1.50).

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