Images
Formula: Cu6Cd2(SO4)2(OH)12.5H2O
Hydrated sulphate, cadmium-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 3.40 calculated, based on the empirical formula
Streak: White
Colour: Pale blue
Environments
Volcanic igneous environments
Hydrothermal environments
Lauraniite is a new mineral, approved in 2019.
Localities
The type locality, the Laurani mine, Laurani District, Aroma Province, La Paz, Bolivia, is situated in a region
characterised by an abundance of epithermal silver -
gold - lead -
zinc - copper deposits. The Laurani mine
is a zoned, high-sulphidation type deposit, with a pyrite -
enargite core, an enargite -
tennantite middle zone, and a
sphalerite-silver-bearing
galena outer zone. The primary ore mineral is
enargite and the host rocks are
rhyolite, dacite,
andesite and pyroclastics.
Lauraniite is found in cavities in a matrix of tennantite and
chalcocite; it is considered to have crystallised from solutions rich in
copper, cadmium and
sulphur, derived from the partial oxidation of the
primary ore. Associated species include
serpierite and brochantite. The
lauraniite occurs as bladed crystals up to 110 microns in length, often showing steep crystal terminations,
forming divergent intergrowths up to ~200 microns across.
(CM 60.825-836).
Back to Minerals