Field book of common rocks and minerals : $b for identifying the rocks and minerals of the United States and interpreting their origins and meaningsLoomis, Frederic Brewster
Science
Field book of common rocks and minerals : $b for identifying the rocks and minerals of the United States and interpreting their origins and meanings
Loomis, Frederic Brewster
Minerals -- United States; Rocks -- United States
This mineral is one of those resulting from metamorphic alteration and
is derived from calamine, when the latter loses its water of
crystallization. It is common at Franklin Furnace, N. J., and also found
occasionally elsewhere, as at Salida, Colo., and in Socorro Co., New
Mexico.
Calamine
Zn₂(OH)₂·SiO₃
Occurs as crystalline linings in cavities, or as botryoidal or
stalactitic masses; hardness 5; specific gravity 3.4; colorless to
white; luster vitreous.
Calamine resembles both smithsonite and willemite when in
non-crystalline masses. From the smithsonite it is easily separated by
the fact that in nitric acid the smithsonite effervesces and the
calamine does not. From willemite it is harder to distinguish, but a
piece may be placed in a closed tube and heated. If it is calamine water
vapor will be given off, if willemite nothing happens. When calamine
occurs in crystals these are orthorhombic and mostly tabular, and the
crystals are peculiar in that the two ends are terminated differently.
Both this and smithsonite are secondary minerals and usually occur
together when zinc is found in limestones. It is abundant at Franklin
Furnace and Sterling Hill, N. J., and also found at Phœnixville, Penn.,
in Wythe Co., Va., and Granby, Mo.
Smithsonite
ZnCO₃
Pl. 21
_Dry bone_
Usually occurs as incrustations, grains, earthy or compact masses, and
as crystals; hardness 5; specific gravity 4.4; color white, yellow,
greenish or bluish; streak white; luster vitreous; transparent on thin
edges.
When pure this mineral is colorless, but, as it occurs, it is usually
white, or tinged with some shade of yellow, green, or blue, but in all
cases its streak is white. The crystals are rhombohedrons often with
edges beveled or corners cut by other faces. It resembles calamine and
willemite, but is readily separated from either of these by the acid
test, for smithsonite effervesces when acid is placed on it.
Next to sphalerite, smithsonite is the commonest of the zinc minerals.
It is a secondary mineral, resulting from the action of lime-charged
water acting on sphalerite, and so is likely to be found wherever zinc
minerals occur in a limestone region. In the Wisconsin-Illinois-Iowa
district it serves as a minor ore of zinc, and is termed here “dry
bone.” It is also found in the Missouri and Arkansas districts, and in
Europe is an important ore for zinc.
Franklinite
(ZnMn)Fe₂O₄
Pl. 21
Occurs in compact grains or masses, and in isometric octahedrons;
hardness 6; specific gravity 5; color black; streak reddish-brown;
luster metallic; opaque on thin edges.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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