Boleite was first found in Boleo, Mexico in 1891, in a location of your Baja peninsula that has grown to be renowned for unusual minerals. Boleite is this sort of an uncommon and sophisticated mineral which the definition of its chemical composition and crystal construction have undergone several revisions considering the fact that its initially discovery.
The primary specimens of boleite had been discovered by Eduoard Cumenge, a French mining engineer. A further exceptional halide mineral from your exact same locale, with the same construction and a rather diverse chemical composition, was named cumengite in honor of Cumenge.
There are lots of attributes of boleite which make it of distinct interest to collectors. For something, it has an unconventional chemical composition, currently being a hydrated lead copper silver chloride hydroxide. It incorporates important quantities of those metals, with about 49% direct, 14% copper and nine% silver. Secondly, it's a fascinating crystal Δαχτυλίδια composition, given that boleite is often pseudocubically twinned. That is certainly, Every dice-like crystal of boleite is actually made up of three rectangular box-like crystals oriented at suitable angles to each other. Boleite also has an exceptionally appealing indigo coloration and a few pretty ΛευκόχÏυσα unusual clear crystals have already been cut as gemstones.
Boleite in MatrixBoleite in Matrix
Like other halide minerals, for example fluorite, Δαχτυλιδια Φθηνα boleite is quite comfortable, with a Mohs hardness score of only three to 3.five. It has a vitreous to ΛευκόχÏυσα pearly luster. It truly is an ΧÏυσά Δαχτυλίδια unusually dense mineral, with a specific gravity of 5.05. Only some minerals, like hematite and cassiterite, have an increased density. Boleite's refractive index can also be incredibly higher at two.03-two.05; larger than sapphire, sphene and demantoid garnet.
In combination with cumengite, there are a number of other minerals connected to boleite, such as pseudoboleite, chloroxiphite, paralaurionite, matlockite, chlorargyrite, bideauxite, atacamite, mendipite and diaboleite.
Besides the deposit in Baja, Mexico, boleite continues to be present in Damaged Hill in New South Wales, Australia; in the Mammoth District of Arizona in The usa; and during the Mendip Hills of Somerset, England.
