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Formula: CuPb(SO4)(OH)2
Sulphate, linarite-chenite group
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 5.35 measured, 5.33 calculated
Hardness: 2½
Streak: Light blue
Colour: Blue
Solubility: Moderately soluble in nitric acid
Environments:
Linarite occurs as a secondary mineral in the oxidation zone of
high temperature hydrothermal deposits, where
it is formed as an alteration product of galena. In some localities in Cumbria,
England, it is
found on limonitic quartz or partly decomposed
galena with cerussite. It also occurs
near the contact between galena and the surrounding matrix, if any copper sulphides
are present (JRS 11.13). It may be formed by post-mining oxidation. The linarite,
anglesite, brochantite
assemblage is typical for some localities, and helps to distinguish linarite from
azurite.
Linarite and caledonite are both important lead/copper supergene minerals; both
minerals can be found alone in cavities although they can also occur together, and both are often associated with simple lead
and copper minerals such as cerussite and
brochantite and, to a lesser extent,
malachite; they can be found in such combinations in the
carbonate rich English Pennines. When low concentrations of lead ions Pb2+ build up in an environment dominated
by copper minerals, such
as brochantite, the lead may form linarite
(JRS 18.14).
Linarite has been found pseudomorphed by
chrysocolla,
malachite and
brochantite (JRS 11.35-38), and it is often intergrown with
leadhillite
(R&M 85.6.519).
Localities
In Block 14, Broken Hill, New South Wales, linarite has been found as crusts coating
cerussite and anglesite, lining
fractures in gneiss. Some larger crystals have been found coating
cerussite associated with brochantite
and smithsonite
(AJM 3.1.43).
At Kintore, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, linarite has been found as impregations with other sulphates such as
brochantite and connellite in
quartz - chalcocite rocks, and with
malachite on fractures
(AJM 3.1.43).
At the Kapi mine, Tasmania, Australia, linarite occurs rarely overgrown by
cerussite and anglesite
(AJM 12.2.83).
At the Shangri La mine, Kimberley, Western Australia, linarite occurs as crusts coating
malachite and cerussite in cavities
(AJM 16.1.21).
At the Wheal Fortune copper mine, Northampton, Western Australia, linarite occurs intergrown with
brochantite in crusts coating oxidised
quartz-rich granitic
gneiss, which contains minor
chalcopyrite
(AJM 18.1.44).
At the Devons Cut deposit, Braeside lead field, Pilbara, Western Austrlia, linarite has been found in association with
caledonite and cerussite
(AJM 13.2.60).
At Llallagua, Bolivia, crusts of a mixture of linarite and caledonite
have been described
(Minrec 37.2.142).
At the Goul Mine, Er Rachidia, Er Rachidia Province, Morocco, linarite occurs with
brochantite on a quartz matrix
(AESS).
At the Imiter Mine, Tinghir Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco, linarite is associated with
cerussite, and also
with weathered chalcopyrite and
covellite
(Minrec 42.2.125).
At the Driggith and Sandbed mines, Caldbeck, Allerdale, England, UK, linarite is a common component of crusts on weathered
sulphides formed by post-mining oxidation. It also occurs as crystals in cavities in oxidised ore, commonly associated with
brochantite and cerussite, and
sometimes with hemimorphite,
leadhillite, schulenbergite
and anglesite
(JRS 9.24).
At Roughton Gill, Caldbeck, Allerdale, Cumbria, England, UK, linarite has been found in cavities and fractures
in vein quartz, commonly associated with
leadhillite and caledonite.
Linarite crystals are sometimes partly replaced by brochantite.
Linarite-rich lenses are commonly surrounded by iron-stained quartz,
pyromorphite, chrysocolla
and malachite
(JRS 11.17).
Most linarite specimens are crusts which are a dump alteration product of
galena
and chalcopyrite. Crystals, however, have been found associated with
malachite, caledonite or
leadhillite
(JRS 14.15).
At Red Gill Mine, Roughton Gill, Caldbeck, Allerdale, Cumbria, England, UK, bright blue, vitreous linarite occurs on a
quartz matrix
AESS).
At Silver Gill, Roughton Gill, Caldbeck, Allerdale, Cumbria, England, UK, linarite is commonly found on
limonitic
quartz or partly decomposed galena with
cerussite, associated with
brochantite, langite,
hemimorphite and cerussite
(JRS 8(2).92).
At Short Grain, Caldbeck, Allerdale, Cumbria, England, UK, linarite usually occurs as crusts of post-mining
origin, but a specimen has been found with linarite crystals to 5 mm associated with minor
caledonite and
cerussite
(JRS 12.55).
At the Tynebottom mine, Alston Moor, Eden, Cumbria, England, UK, linarite has been found associated with
pyrite, serpierite,
cerussite, chalcopyrite and
malachite
(AESS).
The Cononley mine, near Skipton, Craven, North Yorkshire, England, UK, worked veins in clastic sedimentary rocks.
Baryte is the most abundant
primary vein-filling, with minor
witherite, fluorite and
calcite. Galena was the principal
lead ore, but workable quantities of
cerussite were found, and
sphalerite and smithsonite
also occurred. Limited evidence suggests that fluorite and
witherite were late-stage local infills.
In 1966 a small specimen was found of massive baryte containing a cavity with
a few azure blue crystals which were visually identified as linarite. Half a century later, in 2019, on
re-examination the visual identification was confirmed by wet chemistry.
In this specimen linarite overgrows partly oxidised galena and cerussite. Some pale blue coatings of linarite were present on two
other specimens, but no further crystals were found.
Linarite commonly occurs where oxidising solutions percolate through mixed
lead and copper sulphides. It is present
at almost every such locality in the Lake District, and is abundant in dump-formed
supergene assemblages produced by the oxidation of mixed
lead-copper ores at the
lead mines in Central Wales. The relative rarity of linarite in the
Pennine orefields, and in the Yorkshire Pennines in particular, makes its occurrence at Cononley Mine noteworthy.
It seems likely that the absence of carbonates in the wall-rocks at the Cononley Mine and the abundance of relatively
inert baryte in the veins allowed linarite to form by the build-up of
concentrations of aqueous Cu2+ in an environment dominated by lead
minerals in slightly alkaline conditions. It is almost certain that the linarite is part of the mineral
assemblage produced by natural oxidation in the relatively extensive
supergene zone, and not a post-mining product
(JRS 23.91-95).
At the Gallagher Mine, Tombstone Hills, Cochise county, Arizona, USA, linarite has been found associated with
leadhillite, diaboleite and
anglesite on material from the dump
(R&M 90-4.344).
At the Brown Monster mine, Inyo county, California, USA, linarite occurs with
caledonite near altered galena pods
(Minrec 41.2.189).
At the Reward mine, Inyo county, California, USA, linarite occurs along fractures in
quartz veins, associated with
brochantite, cerussite,
anglesite, leadhillite and
caledonite in various combinations
(Minrec 41.2.189).
At the Blanchard mine, Socorro, New Mexico, USA, linarite and
anglesite pseudomorphs after
galena have been found
(KL p192)
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