Otavite

otavite

smithsonite

rosasite

hydrozincite

Formula: Cd(CO3)
Anhydrous carbonate, calcite group, epitaxial on smithsonite
Crystal System: Trigonal
Specific gravity: 4.96 measured, 5.03 calculated
Hardness: 3½ to 4
Streak: White
Colour: White to yellow-brown or reddish
Environments

Hydrothermal environments

Otavite is a rare secondary mineral in the oxidised zone of hydrothermal base-metal deposits. Associated minerals include smithsonite, cerussite, hydrozincite, hemimorphite, azurite, malachite, rosasite, olivenite, pyromorphite, calcite and fluorite (HOM).

Localities

At Block 14 opencut, Broken Hill, Broken Hill district, Yancowinna county, New South Wales, Australia, otavite has been found as crystals up to 1 mm long, associated with smithsonite, cerussite, rosasite and pyromorphite (AJM 3.1.38).

At Devon's Cut, Braeside Station, Gregory Ranges District, East Pilbara Shire, Western Australia, otavite has been found in cavities containing the hemimorphite-hydrozincite assemblage, forming clusters on hemimorphite masses. It is the last-formed mineral in the cavities (AJM 13.2.60).

At the Shangri La Mine, Kununurra, Wyndham-East Kimberley Shire, Western Australia, microscopic crystals of otavite occur associated with hemimorphite, cerussite, smithsonite, calcite, dolomite and rosasite. Generally it formed late in the paragenetic sequence, overgrowing quartz, cerussite, hemimorphite, smithsonite and rosasite (AJM 16.1.22).

At the type locality, the Tsumeb mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia, otavite is associated with smithsonite, pyromorphite, olivenite, malachite, cerussite and azurite (Mindat, Dana).

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