Boleite is a complex halide mineral with formula: KPb26Ag9Cu24(OH)48Cl62.[3] It was first described in 1891 as an oxychloridemineral. It is an isometric mineral which forms in deep-blue cubes. There are numerous minerals related to boleite, such as pseudoboleite, cumengite, and diaboleite, and these all have the same complex crystal structure.[5] They all contain bright-blue cubic forms and are formed in altered zones of lead and copper deposits, produced during the reaction of chloride bearing solutions with primary sulfide minerals.[6]
Physical properties
The external property of a boleite crystal structure indicates its cubic structure. It is classified under the isometric crystal class. Boleite has a perfect cleavage in the [001] direction, and has a very dark glossy blue color with a light greenish-blue color streak. Twinning is best shown in this mineral by notches along the interpenetrated angles, which results in a crystal habit of pseudocubic penetration twinning along three different angles perpendicular to one another. Boleite has cubes over half an inch on each side, which consist of pseudo-octahedral tetragonal dipyramids.[7]
^Martens, W., Williams, P.A., Frost, R.L. (2003) "Raman spectroscopy of the minerals boleite, cumengite, diaboleite and phosgenite – implications for the analysis of cosmetics of a antiquity". Mineralogical Magazine. V.67: 103–111 1[permanent dead link]
^ abRouse, Roland C. (1973/01). "The Crystal Structure of boleite – A Mineral Containing Silver Atom Clusters". Journal of Solid State Chemistry 6(1): 86–92 2
^Weber, Julius (1974). The Formation of Minerals. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. New York, London. pp. 78–80
Parker, Robert L. (1981). Rocks and Mineral Deposits. W.H. Freeman and Company. San Francisco. 343–422.
Pirsson, Louis V. (1964). Rocks and Rock Minerals. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, London. 34–56
Williams, Peter A., Thomas, John H., Humphries, Alun, Samad, Abdul F. (1981). “Chemical Studies on the Stabilities of Boleite and Pseudoboleite”. Mineralogical Magazine v.44: 101–104 3[permanent dead link]