Mineralpedia Details for Pyroaurite
Pyroaurite
Named after the golden yellow color it develops upon exposure to hear, Pyroaurite is named for the Greek pyr, meaning “fire,” and aurum, meaning “gold.” Few localities worldwide including Sweden, Italy, Austria, Scotland, Russia, Japan, Canada, the USA, and South Africa, among others. Pyroaurite occurs as an authigenic weathering product and in hydrothermal veins, serpentinite, and ophiolite.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/pyroaurite.pdf
- Formula
- Mg6Fe3+2CO3(OH)16·4H2O
- Crystal System
- Trigonal
- Crystal Habit
- Tabular, Fibrous
- Cleavage
- Perfect, None, None
- Luster
- Pearly
- Color
- brownish yellow, brown white, colorless, greenish, yellowish white
- Streak
- white
- Class
- Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral
- Fracture
- Flexible
- Hardness
- 2.5
- WebMineral
- View Pyroaurite
- Mindat
- View Pyroaurite
Pyroaurite from Långban, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden
Golden yellow platy crystals to 1mm.
Click thumbnail images for larger view.
Pyroaurite from Ightem mine, Bou Azzer dist., Morocco
Very thin clear to yellowish, hexagonal plates of Pyroaurite well protected in a Dolomite vug.
Click thumbnail images for larger view.
