Hemimorphite

Hemimorphite, is Zn4(Si2O7)(OH)2·H2O, a
component of calamine. It is a
sorosilicate mineral which has been
historically mined from the upper parts of
zinc and lead ores, chiefly associated
with smithsonite, ZnCO3. They were
assumed to be the same mineral and
both were classed under the same name
of calamine. In the second half of the
18th century it was discovered that these
two different minerals were both present
in calamine. They closely resemble each
other.
 Hemimorphite

General

Category Sorosilicates

Formula Zn4Si2O7(OH)2·H2O
(repeating unit)

Strunz classification 9.BD.10

Crystal system Orthorhombic

Crystal class Pyramidal (mm2)

H-M symbol: (mm2)

Space group Imm2

Unit cell a = 8.367(5), b = 10.73

c = 5.155(3) [Å]; Z = 2

Identification
Color White, blue, greenish

Crystal habit Polar crystals, with

different or
hemimorphic ends.
Also coxcomb masses,
mammillary, stalactitic,
or massive

Twinning Rare on {001}

Cleavage Perfect on {110}, poor

on {101}, {001} rare

Fracture Uneven to conchoidal

Tenacity Brittle

Mohs scale hardness 4.5-5

Luster Vitreous, adamantine,

rarely silky

Streak White

Diaphaneity Transparent to

translucent
 translucent

Specific gravity 3.516 - 3.525

Optical properties Biaxial (+)

Refractive index nα = 1.614 nβ = 1.617

nγ = 1.636

Birefringence δ = 0.022

2V angle Measured: 46°,

calculated: 44°

Solubility Soluble in acid

References [1][2][3]

The silicate was the rarer of the two, and

was named hemimorphite, because of
the hemimorph development of its
crystals. This unusual form, which is
typical of only a few minerals, means that
the crystals are terminated by dissimilar
faces. Hemimorphite most commonly
forms crystalline crusts and layers, also
massive, granular, rounded and reniform
aggregates, concentrically striated, or
finely needle-shaped, fibrous or
stalactitic, and rarely fan-shaped clusters
of crystals.

Some specimens show strong green

fluorescence in shortwave ultraviolet
light (253.7 nm) and weak light pink
fluorescence in longwave UV.

Occurrence
Hemimorphite "spray" of crystals from Durango,
Mexico (size: 2.9 x 2.1 x 2.0 cm)

Hemimorphite most frequently occurs as

the product of the oxidation of the upper
parts of sphalerite bearing ore bodies,
accompanied by other secondary
minerals which form the so-called iron
cap or gossan. Hemimorphite is an
important ore of zinc and contains up to
54.2% of the metal, together with silicon,
oxygen and hydrogen. The crystals are
blunt at one end and sharp at the other.
Blue vug-filling hemimorphite from Wenshan, Yunnan
Province, China (size: 9.2 x 4.8 x 3.1 cm)

The regions on the Belgian-German

border are well known for their deposits
of hemimorphite of metasomatic origin,
especially Vieille Montagne in Belgium
and Aachen in Germany. Other deposits
are in Tarnowskie Góry area in Upper
Silesia, Poland; near Phoenixville,
Pennsylvania; the Missouri lead-zinc
district; Elkhorn, Montana; Leadville,
Colorado; and Organ Mountains, New
Mexico in the United States; and in
several localities in North Africa. Further
hemimorphite occurrences are the
Padaeng deposit near Mae Sod in
western Thailand; Sardinia; Nerchinsk,
Siberia; Cave del Predil, Italy; Bleiberg,
Carinthia, Austria; Matlock, Derbyshire,
England.

References
1. Handbook of Mineralogy
2. Webmineral
3. Mindat.org
Hurlbut, Cornelius S.; Klein, Cornelis,
1985, Manual of Mineralogy, 20th ed.,
ISBN 0-471-80580-7
Boni, M., Gilg, H.A., Aversa, G., and
Balassone, G., 2003, The "Calamine" of
southwest Sardinia: Geology,
mineralogy, and stable isotope
geochemistry of supergene Zn
mineralization: Economic Geology, v.
98, p. 731-748.
Reynolds, N.A., Chisnall, T.W.,
Kaewsang, K., Keesaneyabutr, C., and
Taksavasu, T., 2003, The Padaeng
supergene nonsulfide zinc deposit,
Mae Sod, Thailand: Economic Geology,
v. 98, p. 773-785.
Mineral galleries

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