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Formula: Cu(BiO)2(VO4)(OH)
Anhydrous normal vanadate,
bismuth-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Triclinic
Specific gravity: 6.86 measured, 6.91 calculated
Hardness: 4½ to 5
Streak: Pistachio green
Colour: Dark green
Solubility: Easily soluble in cold dilute acids
Environments:
Pegmatites
Hydrothermal environments
Namibite is a secondary mineral in
bismuth-bearing hydrothermal polymetallic mineral deposits and
granite pegmatites,
associated with bismuth, bismutite,
wittichenite, bismite,
bismutostibiconite,
bismutoferrite, clinobisvanite,
pucherite, beyerite,
schumacherite, mixite,
eulytine and chrysocolla
(HOM).
At the type locality, a copper mine near Khorixas, northwestern Namibia,
namibite
occurs in cavities in
drusy quartz veins associated with
beyerite,
native bismuth, bismite,
bismutite and oxidised copper minerals
(Dana, AM67.857)
At the White Queen Mine, Hiriart Mountain, Pala, Pala Mining District, San Diego county, California, USA, fine-grained
emerald-green namibite has been found intergrown with fine-grained, tan
clinobisvanite in a quartz-rich
"pocket-pegmatite" together with
beyerite
(MM 60.2.387–388).
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