Zaratite is a bright emerald green nickel

carbonate mineral Carbonate minerals are those minerals containing the carbonate ion, . Carbonate divisions Anhydrous carbonates *Calcite group: trigonal **Calcite CaCO3 **Gaspéite (Ni,Mg,Fe2+)CO3 **Magnesite MgCO3 **Otavite CdCO3 **Rhodochrosite MnCO3 **Sider ...

with formula Ni₃CO₃(OH)₄·4H₂O. Zaratite crystallizes in the isometric crystal system as massive to mammillary encrustations and vein fillings. It has a specific gravity of 2.6 and a

Mohs hardness The Mohs scale ( ) of mineral hardness is a qualitative ordinal scale, from 1 to 10, characterizing scratch resistance of mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fair ...

of 3 to 3.5. It has no cleavage and is brittle to

conchoidal fracture A conchoidal fracture is a break or fracture of a brittle material that does not follow any natural planes of separation. Mindat.org defines ''conchoidal fracture'' as follows: "a fracture with smooth, curved surfaces, typically slightly concave ...

. The luster is vitreous to greasy. It is a rare secondary mineral formed by hydration or alteration of the primary nickel and iron bearing minerals, chromite,

pentlandite Pentlandite is an iron–nickel sulfide with the chemical formula . Pentlandite has a narrow variation range in nickel to iron ratios (Ni:Fe), but it is usually described as 1:1. In some cases, this ratio is skewed by the presence of pyrrhotite ...

pyrrhotite Pyrrhotite (''Pyrrhus of Epirus, pyrrhos'' in Greek language, Greek meaning "flame-coloured"'')'' is an iron sulfide mineral with the formula Fe(1−x)S (x = 0 to 0.125). It is a nonstoichiometric compound, nonstoichiometric variant of FeS, th ...

, and millerite, during the

serpentinization Serpentinization is a hydration and Metamorphic rock, metamorphic transformation of ferromagnesian minerals, such as olivine and pyroxene, in mafic and ultramafic rock to produce serpentinite. Minerals formed by serpentinization include the Serp ...

ultramafic Ultramafic rocks (also referred to as ultrabasic rocks, although the terms are not wholly equivalent) are igneous and meta-igneous rocks with a very low silica content (less than 45%), generally >18% MgO, high FeO, low potassium, and are usua ...

rocks. Hellyerite, NiCO₃·6H₂O, is a related mineral. It was found originally in Manolita mine, Teixedelo, Cedeira, La Coruña province, Galicia,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

in 1851, and named after Spanish diplomat and dramatist Antonio Gil y Zárate (1793–1861).

References

Carbonate minerals Cubic minerals Nickel minerals Hydroxide minerals Tetrahydrate minerals {{Carbonate-mineral-stub

See also

References