HYDROZINCITE

Hydrozincite, a zinc carbonate hydroxide mineral, was first reported from Franklin by Palache. Frondel (1972) noted its occurrence at Sterling Hill as an alteration of zincite and sphalerite. Local hydrozincite remains largely unstudied. It occurs as thin films and opaque white powdery patches and as white crusts of pearly-lustered platy crystals. It is readily identified by its strong blue fluorescence in shortwave ultraviolet.
At Franklin, Palache (1935) noted hydrozincite associated with calcite as a replacement of sphalerite and pyrite. At Sterling Hill, hydrozincite was noted by Frondel to form as post-mining dripstones. The specimens observed by [Dunn] appear to be formed by the alteration of zincite or possibly sphalerite. It has been found in recent times with calcite and sphalerite on the 1750 level, with adelite on the 800 level, and is not uncommon near altered zincite. An occurrence with oxidized sulfides was described by Jenkins and Misiur (1994). (Dunn, 1995)

Location Found:

Franklin and Ogdensburg

Year Discovered:

1853

Formula:

Zn₅(CO₃)₂(OH)₆

Essential Elements:

Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Zinc

All Elements in Formula:

Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Zinc

IMA Status:

Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"

Fluorescent Mineral Properties

Shortwave UV light:

Bright blue

Mid wave UV light:

Moderately weak gray, white, and pale yellow

Longwave UV light:

Moderately weak gray, white, and pale yellow

To find out more about this mineral at minDat's website, follow this link Hydrozincite

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.621

Frondel, Clifford (1972). The minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill, a checklist. NY.: John Willey & Sons. p.63

The Picking Table References

	PT Issue and Page	Description / Comment
View Issue	V. 59, No. 2 - Fall 2018, pg. 20	Hydrothermal Mineral Deposition in a Rock-Dominated Fluid System at Sterling Hill, New Jersey - Hydrozincite
View Issue	V. 57, No. 2 - Fall 2016, pg. 20	Fluorescent Minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill, N.J., Part 1, Richard C. Bostwick - Hydrozincite
View Issue	V. 45, No. 1 - Spring 2004, pg. 12	The Art of Fluorescent Mineral Photography, With Special Attention to the Minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill Photographing the More Popular Franklin and Sterling Hill Fluorescent Minerals - Hydrozincite
View Issue	V. 35, No. 2 - Fall 1994, pg. 21	A Complex Base-Metal Assemblage From the Sterling Mine New Jersey - Hydrozincite
View Issue	V. 33, No. 2 - Fall 1992, pg. 11	The Check List of Franklin-Sterling Hill Fluorescent Minerals - Hydrozincite (Fluorescent Info)
View Issue	V. 30, No, 2 - Fall 1989, pg. 9	Hydrozincite in Vuggy Dolomite, Buckwheat Dump, Franklin, New Jersey
View Issue	V. 18, No. 2 - September 1977, pg. 15	The Fluorescent Minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill, NJ by Richard C. Bostwick - Hydrozincite
View Issue	V. 13, No. 2 - August 1972, pg. 12	The Fluorescent Minerals of Franklin/Ogdensburg Area by Frank Z. Edwards - Hydrozincite (Fluorescent Info)
View Issue	V. 7, No. 2 - August 1966, pg. 10	The Minerals of Sterling Hill 1962-65 by Frank Z. Edwards - Hydrozincite (small article)

Images


Hydrozincite coating, willemite, calcite, franklinite and zincite ore, from Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensburg, NJ. Photo by JVF.		Hydrozincite coating, willemite, calcite, franklinite and zincite ore, from Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensburg, NJ under shortwave UV light. The hydrozincite fluoresces blue, calcite red and the willemite green, franklinite is non-fluorescent. Photo by JVF.


Hydrozincite coating on calcite from the Buckwheat dump Franklin, NJ. 5" x 2 1/4". Photo by WP.		Hydrozincite coating on calcite from the Buckwheat dump Franklin, NJ under longwave UV light. The hydrozincite fluoresces weak blue and the calcite very weak red. 5" x 2 1/4". Photo by WP.

Hydrozincite coating on calcite from the Buckwheat dump Franklin, NJ under shortwave UV light. The hydrozincite fluoresces light blue and the calcite orange red. 5" x 2 1/4". Photo by WP.