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Formula: Pb3CaAl2Si10O27.4H2O
Phyllosilicate (sheet silicate)
Crystal System: Trigonal
Specific gravity: 3.85 measured, 3.84 calculated
Hardness: 5
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless to white, rarely pink
Environments:
Sedimentary environments
Metamorphic environments
Hydrothermal vein environment
Wickenburgite occurs in oxidised lead-bearing hydrothermal veins associated with
phoenicochroite,
mimetite, cerussite,
willemite, crocoite,
duftite, hemihedrite,
alamosite,
melanotekite, luddenite,
ajoite, shattuckite,
vauquelinite,
descloizite and laumontite
(HOM).
Localities
At the type locality, the Potter-Cramer Mine, Vulture Mining District, Maricopa county, Arizona, USA, wickenburgite
occurs as an oxide zone mineral
in a vein which originally carried galena and
sphalerite in a gangue consisting
largely of
quartz and
fluorite, associated with
phoenicochroite and mimetite,
with lesser amounts of cerussite,
willemite, crocoite,
duftite, hemihedrite,
ajoite,
vauquelinite,
descloizite, laumontite and
shattuckite. Wickenburgite is by far the most abundant of these
minerals and was among the last to crystallise
(AM53.1433).
It fluoresces best under SWUV, typically medium red, but it can also fluoresce pink, red and deep crimson, all on the
same specimen. It is possible that the activator is Mn2+ with a co-activator of
lead
(R&M 96.1.36-37).
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