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Formula: Pb(WO4)
Anhydrous tungstate,
scheelite group,
monoclinic
paramorph of tetragonal stolzite
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 8.46 measured, 8.45 calculated
Hardness: 2½ to 3
Streak: Yellow-white
Colour: Pale yellow, yellowish brown, gray, colorless
Solubility: Decomposed by hydrochloric acid with separation of yellow tungstic acid
Environments
Raspite is an uncommon secondary mineral formed in the
oxidised zone of tungsten-bearing hydrothermal base metal deposits. Associated minerals include
hydrokenoelsmoreite and its varieties alumotungstite and
ferritungstite, stolzite,
yttrotungstite-(Y) and
cuprotungstite. Raspite inverts to
stolzite above 410oC
(HOM, Mindat).
Localities
At the type locality, Broken Hill Proprietary mine, Broken Hill, Broken Hill district, Yancowinna
county, New South Wales, Australia, raspite occurs with stolzite in
manganiferous gossan
(Dana).
At the Sumidoro mine, Padre Viegas district, Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil, raspite occurs with
stolzite
(Dana).
At the Cligga Mine, Cligga Head, Perranporth, Perranzabuloe, Cornwall, England, UK, raspite is a
supergene mineral in high temperature
tin-tungsten veins, associated with
stolzite. The oxidation of
primary galena almost
certainly contributed the lead, and
wolframite is the most probable souce of the
tungstate, needed for
formation of raspite
(M&M 34.29-32).
At the Carrock Mine, Mungrisdale, Eden, Cumbria, England, UK, raspite occurs with
stolzite
(M&M 34.29-32).
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