Zavaritskite is a rare mineral of the

halide In chemistry, a halide (rarely halogenide) is a binary chemical compound, of which one part is a halogen atom and the other part is an element or radical that is less electronegative (or more electropositive) than the halogen, to make a fl ...

class,

bismuth Bismuth is a chemical element; it has symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a post-transition metal and one of the pnictogens, with chemical properties resembling its lighter group 15 siblings arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth occurs nat ...

oxyhalide In chemistry, oxohalides or oxyhalides are a group of chemical compounds with the chemical formula , where X is a halogen, and A is an element different than O and X. Known oxohalides have fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), and/or iodine ( ...

with the chemical formula (BiO)F. It is named after the Soviet geologist and petrographer, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Alexander Nikolaevich Zavaritsky. It was discovered in 1962 by Soviet scientists. Zavaritskite is part of

matlockite Matlockite is a rare lead halide mineral, named after the town of Matlock in Derbyshire, England, where it was first discovered in a nearby mine. Matlockite (chemical formula: PbFCl) gives its name to the matlockite group which consists of rare ...

group of minerals.

Description

Zavaritskite is a gray mineral with a greasy or semi-metallic luster; opaque, only slightly translucent in very small grains. The mineral powder is finely dispersed, colorless. The crystallization process of zavaritskite occurs in a square system, due to which the mineral forms sufficiently fine-grained powder

cryptocrystalline Cryptocrystalline is a rock microstructure, rock texture made up of such minute crystals that its crystalline nature is only vaguely revealed even microscopically in thin section by transmitted polarized light. Among the sedimentary rocks, chert a ...

aggregates. The mineral is usually found together with

topaz Topaz is a silicate mineral made of aluminium, aluminum and fluorine with the chemical formula aluminium, Alsilicon, Sioxygen, O(fluorine, F, hydroxide, OH). It is used as a gemstone in jewelry and other adornments. Common topaz in its natural ...

fluorite Fluorite (also called fluorspar) is the mineral form of calcium fluoride, CaF2. It belongs to the halide minerals. It crystallizes in isometric cubic habit, although octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not uncommon. The Mohs scal ...

and others in the

oxidized zone Gossan (eiserner hut or eisenhut) is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein. In the ''classic'' gossan or iron cap all that remains is iron oxides and quartz, often ...

of the Sherlovogorsky deposit in

Transbaikal Transbaikal, Trans-Baikal, Transbaikalia ( rus, Забайка́лье, r=Zabaykal'ye, p=zəbɐjˈkalʲjɪ), or Dauria (, ''Dauriya'') is a mountainous region to the east of or "beyond" (trans-) Lake Baikal at the south side of the eastern Si ...

. Zavaritskite was first described in 1962 by Soviet scientists E. I. Dolomanova, V. M. Senderova, and M. T. Yanchenko. It is one of the oxidation products of

bismuthine Bismuthine (IUPAC name: bismuthane) is the chemical compound with the formula Bi H3. As the heaviest analogue of ammonia (a pnictogen hydride), BiH3 is unstable, decomposing to bismuth metal well below 0 °C. This compound adopts the expect ...

, it is extremely rare.

Formation and locations

Zavaritskite is formed secondarily as a

weathering Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals (as well as wood and artificial materials) through contact with water, atmospheric gases, sunlight, and biological organisms. It occurs '' in situ'' (on-site, with little or no move ...

product of

bismuthinite Bismuthinite is a mineral consisting of bismuth sulfide ( Bi2 S3). It is an important ore for bismuth. The crystals are steel-grey to off-white with a metallic luster. It is soft enough to be scratched with a fingernail and rather dense. Bism ...

in bismuth-containing ore deposits. In addition to solid bismuth and bismuthinite, the mineral can also occur in

paragenesis Paragenesis is a petrologic concept meaning an ''equilibrium sequence of mineral phases''. It is used in studies of igneous and metamorphic rock genesis and importantly in studies of the hydrothermal deposition of ore minerals and the rock alteratio ...

with

bismutite Bismutite or bismuthite is a bismuth carbonate mineral with formula Bi2(CO3)O2 ( bismuth subcarbonate). Bismutite occurs as an oxidation product of other bismuth minerals such as bismuthinite and native bismuth in hydrothermal veins and pegma ...

and

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

, among others. As a rare mineral formation, zavaritskite has only been detected at a few sites, although so far (as of 2018) about 20 sites are known. In addition to

Sherlovaya Gora Sherlovaya Gora () is an urban locality (urban-type settlement) in Borzinsky District of Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and depen ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, zavaritskite was discovered in quartz-

- siderophyllite

greisen Greisen is a highly altered granitic rock or pegmatite, usually composed predominantly of quartz and micas (mostly muscovite). Greisen is formed by self-generated alteration of a granite and is a class of moderate- to high-temperature magmatic-hy ...

, which cut a

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

pluton In geology, an igneous intrusion (or intrusive body or simply intrusion) is a body of intrusive igneous rock that forms by crystallization of magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Intrusions have a wide variety of forms and com ...

. Also, the mineral was discovered in Russia at the Nevskoe

tungsten Tungsten (also called wolfram) is a chemical element; it has symbol W and atomic number 74. It is a metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively in compounds with other elements. It was identified as a distinct element in 1781 and first ...

tin Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn () and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, a bar of tin makes a sound, the ...

deposit near

Omsukchan Omsukchan () is an types of inhabited localities in Russia, urban locality (an urban-type settlement) and the administrative center of Omsukchansky District of Magadan Oblast, Russia, located north of Magadan. Population: History Omsukchan was ...

in the

Magadan Oblast Magadan Oblast is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia. It is geographically located in the Russian Far East, Far East region of the country, and is administratively part of the Far Eastern Federal District. Magadan ...

, at

Pitkyaranta Pitkyaranta (; ; ) is a town and the administrative center of Pitkyarantsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the northeastern coast of Lake Ladoga. Population: History Originally a part of Finland, Pitkäranta was part ...

in the

Republic of Karelia The Republic of Karelia, or simply Karelia or Karjala (; ) is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia situated in the Northwest Russia, northwest of the country. The republic is a part of the Northwestern Federal District, and covers an area of ...

, and at

Mount Ploskaya Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

in the Keivy Mountains on the

Kola Peninsula The Kola Peninsula (; ) is a peninsula in the extreme northwest of Russia, and one of the largest peninsulas of Europe. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely inside the Arctic Circle and is border ...

. Other known sites to date are Fielders Hill near Torrington (

Clive County Clive County is one of the 141 cadastral divisions of New South Wales. The name is of unknown origin. Parishes Clive County consists of the following parishes: References

{{Reflist Counties of New South Wales ...

) and the Elsmore tin mine in

Inverell Shire Inverell Shire is a local government area in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia adjacent to the Macintyre River and the Gwydir Highway. The mayor of Inverell Shire Council is Cr. Kate Dight, who is unaligned with any ...

(

Gough County Gough County is one of the 141 cadastral divisions of New South Wales. Gough County was named in honour of Field Marshal Sir Hugh Gough, first Viscount Gough (1779–1869). Parishes A full list of parishes found within this county; their cu ...

) in the Australian state of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

; the Beauvoir quarry near

Échassières Échassières (; ) is a commune in the Allier department in central France. Geography The river Bouble forms most of the commune's northwestern border. Population See also *Communes of the Allier department The following is a list of ...

in the French département of

Allier Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...

; the Ebisu pits near

Nakatsugawa Magome-juku on the Nakasendō is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 78,930, and a population density of 120 persons per km2 in 30,788 households. The total area of the city was . Geography Nakatsugawa is in ...

and Ashio near

Nikkō is a Cities of Japan, city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city's population was 80,239, in 36,531 households. The population density was 55 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Nikkō is a popular destination for Japanese and ...

on the Japanese island of

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

; and several others.

References

{{Reflist Fluorine minerals Bismuth minerals Halide minerals Tetragonal minerals Minerals in space group 62