Search Mineralpedia – A Mineral Photo Database and Identification Guide

Named in reference to the minerals difference from boleite after the Greek prefix dia-, meaning “different,” “separate,” or “apart from.” Diaboleite is a rare mineral that can be found in localities in England, Germany, Italy, Greece, the United States, Iran, Australia, Chile, and Russia, among just a couple others. Diaboleite occurs in oxidized manganese ore, as a secondary mineral in highly oxidized lead-copper ore, and on slag that has been exposed to seawater. Diaboleite is completely soluble in nitric acid.

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

Named after its formation as a secondary mineral from earlier phosphates after the Greek word diadochos, meaning “successor.” Diadoshite is an uncommon mineral that may be post-mine in origin and can be found in gossans and coal deposits formed from sulfate rich solutions, as well as in caves with the phosphate derived from guano, and in granite pegmatites. Localities for Diadochite include in Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Slovakia, Austria, Canada, and in the USA including here in the Black Hills of South Dakota in the Tip Top and Big Chief mines. Other additional localities are known.

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

Named for the Greek word diasporas, meaning “to scatter,” in reference to the minerals nature to crackle, decrepitate, when exposed to a blowpipe flame. Somewhat uncommon, but widespread, Diaspore has quite a few localities and prominent localities include in Russia, Slovakia, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey, Macedonia, Greece, South Africa, and the United States. Diaspore occurs as, usually, a final product of diagenesis of bauxite deposits, but can also occur from the hydrothermal alteration of aluminum-rich minerals and as a hydrothermal mineral itself in alkalic pegmatites.

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

Now considered a synonym of Dickinsonite-(KMnNa), this mineral was named after Reverend John William Dickinson of Connecticut, USA who was an early collector of Branchville minerals where the mineral gets its type locality from the Fillow quarry in Branchville, Connecticut. Dickinsonite is a rare mineral that can be found in additional USA localities including here in the Black Hills of South Dakota at the Nickel Plate mine, as well as in Rwanda, Namibia, the Czech Republic, and Australia. Associated minerals at the type locality include eosphorite, triploidite, lithiophilite, rhodochrosite, eddingite, and fairfieldite.

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

Named for Scottish metallurgical chemist Allan Brugh Dick, who was the first to describe the species. Dickite is relatively common and widespread with well studied material from localities in Wales, Hungary, France, South Africa, the United States, and Mexico, along with many other localities. It occurs typically of hydrothermal origin in veins that were derived in part from altered aluminosilicate minerals and can additionally be found as an authigenic mineral in sediments and sedimentary rocks. Dickite is associated with quartz and quartz variety chalcedony.

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