KOLICITE



Kolicite is a manganese zinc arsenate silicate hydroxide mineral. Minor Fe and Mg proxies for Mn and Zn. Analyses of the type material and the slightly magnesian material of the subsequent 1982 find are in good agreement with the idealized composition.
Kolicite was initially described by Dunn et al. (1979b) using material from Sterling Hill and noting the occurrence at Franklin, which was intimately associated with holdenite.
The crystal structure was described by Peacor (1980), who confirmed the cubic closest packing of anions in the structure and found As, Zn, and Si to be tetrahedrally coordinated, forming continuous vertex-sharing slabs oriented normal to c. These are linked with units of seven edge-sharing Mn octahedral to form a three-dimensional structure. Peacor also described a basic unit of structure common to both kolicite and holdenite.
Kolicite occurs as euhedral crystals with varied form development. Crystals from the first occurrence are markedly tabular and have, for the most part, extensively textured faces.
Kolicite is orange and has a vitreous luster and no cleavage. The density is 4.17 g/cm3 (meas.), 4.20 g/cm3 (calc.). The hardness is 4 1/2; the mineral is brittle and has an even fracture.
There is no discernible fluorescence in ultraviolet. Broken crystals resemble garnet, but the anisotropism and pleochroism are diagnostic.
Kolicite is a mineral of the secondary veins. It was first found in the 1020 longitudinal stope, about 30 feet above the 1400 level, within the central zincite zone, in the east branch of the west limb of the Sterling Hill orebody. It was found in a shear zone, as evidenced by slickensides. It occurs as euhedral crystals on fracture surfaces in calcite-poor red-willemite/franklinite ore. Kolicite is associated with secondary sonolite and friedelite and is younger than these minerals; it formed contemporaneously with secondary willemite. Kolicite was later found on the 1200 and 1300 levels. Another occurrence was found by John Kolic in 1982; crystals from this occurrence are predominantly equant in habit. Kolicite from this second occurrence was associated with holdenite and mcgovernite. It was found in the 1020 stope, 40 feet below the 1200 level, in the west limb (outer zincite zone) of the Sterling Hill orebody, outside the central zincite zone where the first material was found, at a point where a shear connected this area with the central zincite zone. Here both holdenite and kolicite occurred in euhedral crystals.
Kolicite was also verified by [Dunn] on several holdenite samples from Franklin, and thus was first found, but unrecognized, likely in 1913. Kolicite and holdenite have been found in contact in all three of the known occurrences. In large part due to the paucity of samples, there has been no direct study of the crystallographic relations of kolicite and holdenite in contact. (Dunn, 1995)

 Location Found: Franklin and Ogdensburg (Type Locality), unique to Franklin/Ogdensburg area
     
 
 Year Discovered: 1979
     
 Formula: Mn72+Zn4(AsO4)2(SiO4)2(OH)8
 Essential Elements: Arsenic, Hydrogen, Manganese, Oxygen, Silicon, Zinc
 All Elements in Formula: Arsenic, Hydrogen, Manganese, Oxygen, Silicon, Zinc
     
 IMA Status: Approved
     
     
 To find out more about this mineral at minDat's website, follow this link   Kolicite

     
 References:
Dunn, Pete J. (1995). Franklin and Sterling Hill New Jersey: the world's most magnificent mineral deposits. Franklin, NJ.: The Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society. p.378
The Picking Table References
 PT Issue and PageDescription / Comment
View IssueV. 37, No. 1 - Spring 1996, pg. 19Closest-Packed Mineral Structures of Franklin-Ogdensburg: Kepler's Gift of the Snowflake, Part two of two parts, Paul B. Moore - Kolicite
View IssueV. 24, No. 1 - Spring 1983, pg. 6Recent Mineral Occurrences at Sterling Hill, Stephen B. Sanford, Kolicite
View IssueV. 21, No. 2 - September 1980, pg. 9Mineral Notes Research Reports, Kolicite
View IssueV. 21, No. 1 - March 1980, pg. 6Mineral Notes Research Reports, Kolicite
     
Images
     
Kolicite crystals, calcite, willemite, holdenite and franklinite from the Sterling Hill Mine
Kolicite crystals (orange to red), calcite (white to cream), willemite (light red), holdenite (pink) and franklinite (black) from the Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensburg, NJ. Field of view 1". From the collection of, and photo by Robert A. Boymistruk.






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