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Hemimorphite (Photo)

Year of discovery: 1853 (Baita Bihor, Romania), 1892 (Japan)

Locality list: 68 localities of hemimorphite

• Zn₄Si₂O₇(OH)₂,H₂O
• [Zn²⁺₄][(OH)₂|Si₂O₇]^8-,H₂O

• Class: Sorosilicate - Hydroxide - Hydrate
• Soluble in: HCl (Gel residue)
• Fluorescence: UV excitation (Bluish white-Pale yellow)
• Electrical: Pyroelectric

• Color: Colorless, White, Pale Blue (by Cu ion)
• Streak: White
• Luster: Adamantine
• Diaphaneity: Transparent-Translucent

• Habit: Tabular, One end is truncated perpendicular to the long axis, another end is pointed
• Aggregate: Radial, Reniform. Pointed end is bundled

• Cleavage: Perfect on {110} (2 planes), Poor on {101} and {001} (2 planes)
• Hardness: 4.5-5
• Density: 3.5

• System: Orthorhombic
• Group: mm2, Imm2
• Lattice: a=8.4, b=10.7, c=5.2

Etymology: Hemimorphism, a term meaning a crystal which has different shapes at each end.