Boleite is a complex halide mineral with formula: KPb₂₆Ag₉Cu₂₄(OH)₄₈Cl₆₂. It was first described in 1891 as an

oxychloride In chemistry, molecular oxohalides (oxyhalides) are a group of chemical compounds in which both oxygen and halogen atoms are attached to another chemical element A in a single molecule. They have the general formula , where X = fluorine (F), ...

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ...

. It is an

isometric The term ''isometric'' comes from the Greek for "having equal measurement". isometric may mean: * Cubic crystal system, also called isometric crystal system * Isometre, a rhythmic technique in music. * "Isometric (Intro)", a song by Madeon from ...

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 In crystallography, crystal structure is a description of the ordered arrangement of atoms, ions or molecules in a crystalline material. Ordered structures occur from the intrinsic nature of the constituent particles to form symmetric patterns t ...

. They all contain bright-blue cubic forms and are formed in altered zones of lead and copper deposits, produced during the reaction of

chloride The chloride ion is the anion (negatively charged ion) Cl−. It is formed when the element chlorine (a halogen) gains an electron or when a compound such as hydrogen chloride is dissolved in water or other polar solvents. Chloride s ...

bearing solutions with primary

sulfide mineral The sulfide minerals are a class of minerals containing sulfide (S2−) or disulfide (S22−) as the major anion. Some sulfide minerals are economically important as metal ores. The sulfide class also includes the selenides, the tellurides ...

s.Rouse, Roland C. (1973/01). “The Crystal Structure of boleite – A Mineral Containing Silver Atom Clusters”. ''Journal of Solid State Chemistry'' 6(1): 86-9
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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 01direction, 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.Weber, Julius (1974). ''The Formation of Minerals''. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. New York, London. pp. 78-80

Geologic occurrence

Boleite was first collected as a very minor ore of

silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish ...

and

lead Lead is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metals, heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale of mineral hardness#Intermediate ...

at Boleo,

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

. Boleite was named after its place of discovery, El Boleo mine, on the Baja Peninsula, near Santa Rosalia, Mexico. Minerals associated with boleite include pseudoboleite, cumengeite, atacamite, anglesite,

cerussite Cerussite (also known as lead carbonate or white lead ore) is a mineral consisting of lead carbonate (PbCO3), and is an important ore of lead. The name is from the Latin ''cerussa'', white lead. ''Cerussa nativa'' was mentioned by Conrad Gess ...

, phosgenite and

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and dr ...

at the

type locality Type locality may refer to: * Type locality (biology) * Type locality (geology) See also * Local (disambiguation) * Locality (disambiguation) {{disambiguation ...

in Boleo, Mexico. In the Mammoth-St. Anthony mine of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

associated minerals include pseudoboleite, anglesite, cerussite, atacamite,

paratacamite Paratacamite is a mineral in the halide minerals category. Its chemical formula is . Its name is derived from its association with atacamite. It is found in Chile, Botallack Mine in Cornwall, Broken Hill Broken Hill is an inland mining ...

, leadhillite, paralaurionite, caledonite, phosgenite, matlockite and bideauxite.

References

External links

* * *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: 101-10
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link to cryptohalite
Lead minerals Potassium minerals Silver minerals Copper minerals Halide minerals Cubic minerals Minerals in space group 221