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Wurtzite crystals – 3mm
© Gilles Haineault
ZnS
Two polytypes of wurtzite are found at MSH, -2H is rare and -4H is very rare. Both polytypes exhibit weak fluorescence, -2H fluoresces red while -4H fluoresces orange.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color is yellow to orange-yellow, pink, pale green and reddish brown.
Luster is dull to resinous.
Diaphaneity is translucent.
Crystal System is hexagonal; mc
Crystal Habits include sharp hexagonal, hemimorphic skeletal
crystals to 3mm and tetrahedral shaped pseudomorphs to 1cm.
Cleavage {001} is good and {110} is good.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is 3.5 – 4.
Specific Gravity is approximately 4.0 g/cm
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include aegirine, albite, amphibole group,
analcime, ancylite-(Ce), astrophyllite, bastnäsite, calcite, catapleiite,
chlorite group, cordylite, dolomite, elpidite, epididymite, eudialyte,
fluorite, gonnardite, mangan-neptunite, nepheline, polylithionite,
pyrophanite, rhodochrosite, sérandite and siderite.
Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit and forms.
Origin: Named in 1861 for Charles A. Wurtz (1817-1884),
French chemist.
CLASSIFICATION:
Dana System
# 2.8.7.1
Strunz Classification
# II/C.13-10
REFERENCES:
MinRec 21:347 (1990), Dana 8:72-73 (1997)
DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:
MSH
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