THE MINERAL AJOITE
- Chemistry: (K, Na)Cu7Al(Si3O8) 3(OH)6 - 3H2O, Hydrated Potassium Sodium Copper Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide
- Class: Silicates
- Subclass: Phyllosilicates?
- Uses: A very minor ore of copper and as mineral specimens.
- Specimens
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is blue-green to light green.
- Luster is dull to vitreous.
- Transparency specimens are transparent to translucent.
- Crystal System is triclinic, bar 1.
- Growth Habits include acicular to thin prismatic crystals often found as spherules or sprays of acicular radial crystal clusters and as massive specimens.
- Cleavage is perfect.
- Hardness is 3.5.
- Specific Gravity is approximately 2.9 - 3.0 (average for non-metallic minerals).
- Streak is pale greenish white.
- Associated Minerals are quartz,
limonite,
mimetite,
phoenicochroite , willemite,wickenburgite , shattuckite, copper, papagoite, plancheite, duftite and other secondary copper minerals. - Notable Occurrences are limited to the New Cornelia Mine, Ajo District, Pima County and Wickenburg, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA and the Messina District, South Africa.
- Best Field Indicators are color, crystal habit, locality and associations.
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