Wattersite Explained

Wattersite
Category:	Chromate mineral
Formula:	Hg^+14Hg^+2Cr^+6O6
Imasymbol:	Wte^[1]
Strunz:	7.FB.15
Dana:	35.4.2.1
System:	Monoclinic
Class:	2/m
Symmetry:	C2/c (number 15)
Unit Cell:	859.81 ų
Color:	Dark red-brown to black
Habit:	Prismatic, aggregates, massive
Twinning:	[001], contact twins on
Cleavage:	None
Fracture:	Conchoidal
Tenacity:	Brittle
Mohs:	4.5
Luster:	Sub-Metallic
Streak:	Brick red
Diaphaneity:	Opaque
Gravity:	8.91
Opticalprop:	Biaxial
Refractive:	nα = 2.440 - 2.520 nγ = 2.700 - 2.860
Birefringence:	δ = 0.260 - 0.340
Pleochroism:	Visible
Dispersion:	r > v strong
References:	^[2]

Wattersite is a rare mercury chromate mineral with the formula Hg⁺¹₄Hg⁺²Cr⁺⁶O₆.^[3] It occurs in association with native mercury and cinnabar in a hydrothermally altered serpentinite.^[4] It was first described from Clear Creek claim, San Benito County, California, USA in 1961.^[5] It was named to honor Californian mineral collector Lucius "Lu" Watters.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Warr. L.N.. 2021. IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine. 85. 3. 291–320. 10.1180/mgm.2021.43. 2021MinM...85..291W. 235729616. free.
2. Groat . L.A. . Roberts . A.C. . Le Page . Y. . The Canadian Mineralogist . 33 . 1995 . 41–46 . The crystal structure of wattersite, Hg4HgCrO6.
3. Web site: Wattersite. MinDat. 29 April 2017.
4. Web site: Handbook of Mineralogy . 2017-04-29 . 2016-03-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303185449/http://www.handbookofmineralogy.com/pdfs/wattersite.pdf . dead .
5. Roberts. Andrew C.. Bonardi. Maurizio. Erd. Richard C.. Criddle. Alan J.. Le Page. Yvon. Wattersite Hg+14Hg+2Cr+6O6 a new mineral from the Clear Creek claim San Benito Country, California. The Mineralogical Record. 1991. 22. 269–272.