Sarkinite, synonymous with chondrarsenite and polyarsenite, is a mineral with formula Mn₂(AsO₄)(OH). The mineral is named for the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

word ''σάρκιυος'', meaning made of flesh, for its red color and greasy luster. The mineral was first noted in Sweden in 1865 as chondrarsenite, though not identified as sarkinite until 1885.

Description

Sarkinite is red to yellow in color. It occurs as thick tabular crystals, short prismatic crystals, or has a granular

habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.

. Sarkinite sometimes aggregates into a roughly spherical shape. Sarkinite is a member of the Wagnerite Group. The mineral occurs in manganese-rich lenses in quartzitic chlorite

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes ...

s, metamorphosed zinc ore bodies, and rarely in metamorphosed Fe– Mn ore bodies.

Structure

Sarkinite is

isostructural Isostructural chemical compounds have similar chemical structures. " Isomorphous" when used in the relation to crystal structures is not synonymous: in addition to the same atomic connectivity that characterises isostructural compounds, isomorphous ...

with triploidite and wolfeite and is a dimorph of eveite.Halenius, p. 113. The crystal structure consists of MnO₄(OH)₂

octahedra In geometry, an octahedron (plural: octahedra, octahedrons) is a polyhedron with eight faces. The term is most commonly used to refer to the regular octahedron, a Platonic solid composed of eight equilateral triangles, four of which meet a ...

, MnO₄(OH) trigonal bipyramids, and AsO₄

tetrahedra In geometry, a tetrahedron (plural: tetrahedra or tetrahedrons), also known as a triangular pyramid, is a polyhedron composed of four triangular faces, six straight edges, and four vertex corners. The tetrahedron is the simplest of all the o ...

.Dal Negro, p. 246.

History

In 1885, two similar minerals were discovered in Sweden. Polyarsenite was found in Grythyttan and named by Igelström for its high arsenic content. Sarkinite was discovered in Pajsberg,

Persberg Persberg is a locality situated in Filipstad Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of ...

, and named by A. Sjögren after the Greek word ''σάρκιυος'', meaning made of flesh, in reference to the blood-red color and greasy luster. It was considered likely that the two minerals were identical. A study in 1980 showed that polyarsenite and chondrarsenite, discovered in 1865, were in fact both sarkinite.

Distribution

, sarkinite has been found in Austria, France, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

Association

Sarkinite has been found in association with: Harstigen mine, Sweden * Barite, bementite, brandtite, calcite,

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

Sjö mine, Sweden *

Jacobsite Jacobsite is a manganese iron oxide mineral. It is in the spinel group and forms a solid solution series with magnetite. The chemical formula is (Mn,Mg)Fe2O4 or with oxidation states and substitutions: (Mn2+,Fe2+,Mg)(Fe3+,Mn3+)2O4.

, katoptrite,

magnetite Magnetite is a mineral and one of the main iron ores, with the chemical formula Fe2+Fe3+2O4. It is one of the oxides of iron, and is ferrimagnetic; it is attracted to a magnet and can be magnetized to become a permanent magnet itself. With th ...

tephroite Tephroite is the manganese endmember of the olivine group of nesosilicate minerals with the formula Mn2 Si O4. A solid solution series exists between tephroite and its analogues, the group endmembers fayalite and forsterite. Divalent iron or m ...

Ködnitz Valley, Austria *

Pyroxmangite Pyroxmangite has the general chemical formula of MnSiO3. It is the high-pressure, low-temperature dimorph of rhodonite. It was first described in 1913 and named for the mineral group, pyroxenes, and is known as the manganese member. It forms a ...

rhodochrosite Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral with chemical composition MnCO3. In its (rare) pure form, it is typically a rose-red color, but impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown. It streaks white, and its Mohs hardness varies bet ...

rhodonite Rhodonite is a manganese inosilicate, (Mn, Fe, Mg, Ca)SiO3 and member of the pyroxenoid group of minerals, crystallizing in the triclinic system. It commonly occurs as cleavable to compact masses with a rose-red color (the name comes from the G ...

spessartine Spessartine is a nesosilicate, manganese aluminium garnet species, Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3.Gemological Institute of America, ''GIA Gem Reference Guide'' 1995, This mineral is sometimes mistakenly referred to as ''spessartite''. Spessartine's name is a ...

, tiragalloite Falotta mine, Switzerland * Brandtite,

braunite Braunite is a silicate mineral containing both di- and tri-Valence (chemistry), valent manganese with the chemical formula: Mn2+Mn3+6 8, SiO4 Common impurities include iron, calcium, boron, barium, titanium, aluminium, and magnesium. Braunite ...

, grischunite, manganoan berzeliite,

, tilasite Sterling Hill, New Jersey, US * Adamite, allactite, barite, brandtite,

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

, euchroite, eveite, kraisslite, manganese oxides, parabrandtite,

, serpierite,

willemite Willemite is a zinc silicate mineral () and a minor ore of zinc. It is highly fluorescent (green) under shortwave ultraviolet light. It occurs in a variety of colors in daylight, in fibrous masses and apple-green gemmy masses. Troostite is a vari ...

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

{{commonscat-inline, Sarkinite Manganese(II) minerals Arsenate minerals Monoclinic minerals Minerals in space group 10