| Reinerite | |
| Category: | arsenite |
| Strunz: | 4.JA.10 |
| Formula: | Zn3(AsO3)2 |
| Imasymbol: | Rnr[1] |
| System: | Orthorhombic |
| Class: | Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
| Symmetry: | Pbam (no. 55) |
| Unit Cell: | a = 6.092 Å, b = 14.407 Å c = 7.811 Å; Z = 4 V = 685.55 a:b:c = 0.423 : 1 : 0.542 |
| Color: | Sky blue, yellow green |
| Habit: | Rough striated pseudohexagonal crystals |
| Cleavage: | Good on, and |
| Mohs: | 5 - 5.5 |
| Luster: | Vitreous to adamantine |
| Refractive: | nα = 1.740 nβ = 1.790 nγ = 1.820 |
| Opticalprop: | Biaxial (-) |
| Birefringence: | Maximum δ = 0.080 |
| Gravity: | 4.27 |
| Diaphaneity: | Transparent |
| Other: | Relief: very high |
| References: | [2] [3] [4] [5] |
Reinerite is a rare arsenite (arsenate(III)) mineral with chemical formula Zn3(AsO3)2.[3] [4] It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system.
Reinerite is most commonly found as a sky blue colored mineral, however, it may also be a light yellowish green color. Reinerite has a relative hardness of 5 to 5.5 on the Mohs Scale which is equivalent to that of a knife blade and or shard of glass. It has a density of 4.27 g/cm3,[2] and it exhibits a nonmetallic luster that may be described as glassy or vitreous.[6]
Reinerite develops in dolomite-hosted locations. It is known especially from Namibia, Africa, within the mines of Tsumeb. At the Tsumeb location, Reinerite develops within the polymetallic lead-zinc-copper deposit, 800m (2,600feet) below the surface, in the second oxidation zone.[5] It occurs in association with chalcocite, bornite, willemite, smithsonite, hydrozincite, hemimorphite, adamite, olivenite and gebhardite.[3]
Reinerite was first described in 1958 for an occurrence in the Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Namibia and named for senior chemist Willy Reiner (1895–1965) of Tsumeb Corporation, who analyzed this mineral.[2] [4]