Mineralpedia Details for Karibibite

Named for the Karibib District in Namibia where the type locality of the mineral occurs. Karibibite is a rare mineral that can be found in granite pegmatites in localities in, additionally, Japan, Morocco, Brazil, and Kazakhstan. Karibibite is paramagnetic, magnetic in the presence of externally applied magnetic fields. It can also fluoresce yellow under short-wave ultraviolet light.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/karibibite.pdf

Formula

Fe³⁺₂As³⁺₄O₉ 

Crystal System

Orthorhombic 

Crystal Habit

Fibrous 

Color

brownish yellow 

Streak

light yellow 

Class

Orthorhombic 

Hardness

1-2 

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A 1cm vug in Arsenopyrite with rich orange, fibrous crystals of Karibibite.

A 1cm open vug lined with fibrous Karibibite crystals.

Orange radial fibrous crystals to 0.5mm

Orange fibrous micro sprays to about 0.75mm in Arsenopyrite matrix.

Excellent sharp black crystals of Schneiderhohnite with orange fibrous Karibibite and platy Leiteite. This is an interesting specimen since Karibibite has not been reported or at least published from Tsumeb eventhough this specimen originated from Georg Gebhard. The RRUFF website has confirmed its identity at Tsumeb. However, the association of Karibibite with Schneiderhohnite is typical and has been recorded from Minas Gerais, Bou Azzer and the White Elephant mine in South Dakota. The label plus the occurence of Leiteite with this specimen validates its locality as Tsumeb. Ludlockite is a possibility given the chemistry and its known association with Leiteite at Tsumeb, but this does not look like Ludlockite. It is highly likely that Karibibite has been overlooked at Tsumeb and mistaken for Ludlockite. Gebhard labels this as coming from the third oxidation zone.

A copy of Gebhard's label is provided and can be seen in the provenance tab. The original was sold with another specimen I had previously.