Mineralpedia Details for Erythrite
Erythrite
Named for the Greek word for “red,” erythros, in reference to the minerals common crimson color. Purple to reddish purple, crimson, pale rose, or pink, elongated tabular or knife-like crystals in the millimeter range to free-standing thick, tabular crystals to 1cm or more. Also in radial groups or stellate aggregates, can be fibrous, pulverulent, massive. Large crystals are rare and are easily seperated with a knife and are sectile showing a perfect cleavage. Occurs as a secondary mineral in the oxide zone of some Co–Ni–As-bearing mineral deposits such as Cobalt, Canada or Bou Azzer, Morocco. Common mineral with many other localities.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/erythrite.pdf
- Formula
- Co3(AsO4)2·8H2O
- Crystal System
- Monoclinic
- Crystal Habit
- Striated, Prismatic, Divergent
- Cleavage
- Perfect, None, None
- Luster
- Pearly
- Color
- colorless, violet red, light pink, purple red
- Streak
- pinkish red
- Class
- Monoclinic - Prismatic
- Fracture
- Sectile
- Hardness
- 1.5-2
- WebMineral
- View Erythrite
- Mindat
- View Erythrite
Erythrite from Bou Azzer dist., Anti-Atlas, Morocco
Platy or thick tabular magenta purple crystals to 8mm with acicular purple crystals lining the vug.
Erythrite from Schneeberg dist., Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
An 8mm purple divergent spray with several others along a Quartz seam in matrix.
Erythrite from Carcoare, New South Wales, Australia
Magenta or purple radial sprays to 6mm.
Erythrite from Cobalt-Gowganda dist., Ontario, Canada
Pink crust on skutterudite.
Erythrite from Sara Alicia mine, San Bernardo, Sonora, Mexico
Good coverage of fine bladed, magenta-pink Erythrite in sprays and clusters to 4mm covering matrix.
Erythrite from Blackbird dist., Lemhi Co., Idaho, United States
"Cobalt Bloom" is an an old term for Erythrite. Erythrite is derived from the Greek word for "red' eluding to its deep crimson color. This specimen has nice micro Erythrite in sprays and bundles on probably cobaltoan Mansfieldite.
Erythrite from Jachymov, Erzgegirge, Bohemia, Czech Republic
An antique specimen with red spherulitic crystal groups and sulfides in matrix. It's actually nice observed under the scope. Noitice the old name for Erythrite on the labels "cobaltbluthe" or cobalt bloom. It may have components of Babanekite, the new copper analogue of Erythrite from this locality, which looks exactly like erythrite. The EDS however showed no copper, although there are areas which show blue alterations so I am wondering if it needs additional work.
Erythrite from Sterling Hill mine, Ogdensburg, Sussex Co., New Jersey, United States
Tiny reddish pink acicular radial groups of Erythrite.
Erythrite from French Creek mines, Chester Co., Pennslyvania, United States
Purplish red coatings of Erythrite with octahedral Pyrite crystals from 1.5 to 5mm in Calcite.
