Spherocobaltite

Spherocobaltite
Spherocobaltite from Peramea, Lérida, Catalonia, Spain
General
Category	Carbonate mineral
Formula (repeating unit)	CoCO3
IMA symbol	Scbt[1]
Strunz classification	5.AB.05
Crystal system	Trigonal
Crystal class	Hexagonal scalenohedral (3m) H-M symbol: (3 2/m)
Space group	R3c
Unit cell	a = 4.65, c = 14.95 [Å]; Z = 6
Identification
Formula mass	118.94 g/mol
Color	Most commonly dark magenta red; pink to red, brown, brownish red, grey, greyish red, velvet-black (due to surface alteration)
Crystal habit	Encrustations - forms crust-like aggregates on matrix, crystals uncommon: rhombohedral to discoidal
Cleavage	Perfect rhomboidal cleavage [2]
Mohs scale hardness	4
Luster	Vitreous
Streak	Pink
Diaphaneity	Transparent to translucent
Specific gravity	4.13
Optical properties	Uniaxial (–)
Refractive index	nε = 1.600, nω = 1.885
Birefringence	0.285
Pleochroism	Dichroic: O = violet-red; E = rose-red
References	[2][3][4]

Spherocobaltite or sphaerocobaltite is a cobalt carbonate mineral with chemical composition CoCO₃. In its (rare) pure form, it is typically a rose-red color, but impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown. It crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system.

Discovery and occurrence

Spherocobaltite was first described in 1877 for an occurrence within cobalt and nickel veins in the St. Daniel Mine of the Schneeberg District, Ore Mountains, Saxony, Germany. The name is from the Greek "sphaira", sphere, and cobalt, in reference to its typical crystal habit and composition.^[2] It occurs within hydrothermal cobalt-bearing mineral deposits as a rare phase associated with roselite, erythrite, annabergite and cobalt rich calcite and dolomite.^[4]

Cluster of spherocobaltite crystals from the Katanga Copper Crescent, Katanga (Shaba), Democratic Republic of Congo (size: 11.5 x 6.0 x 4.5 cm)

References

1. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
2. Spherocobaltite on Mindat
3. Spherocobaltite at Webminerals
4. Spherocobaltite in Handbook of Mineralogy

Further reading

• Sphärocobaltit