Ziesite is a mineral, copper vanadate: formula βCu2V2O7. It was discovered in 1980 as monoclinic crystals around fumaroles in the crater of the Izalco Volcano, El Salvador. It is named after Emmanuel G Zies, a mineralogist. General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ... In crystallography, the monoclinic crystal system is one of the 7 lattice point groups. ... Izalco is a municipality in the Sonsonate department of El Salvador. ...
Closely related is Blossite, also copper vanadate; its formula is given as αCu2V2O7. It forms orthorhombic crystals. In crystallography, the orthorhombic crystal system is one of the 7 lattice point groups. ...
The available literature does not explain the significance of the α/β forms other than the different crystal forms.
On the basis of previously determined atomic arrangements, the blossite-ziesite phase transition is of the non-nearest-neighbor reconstructive type.
Blossite occurs as an equant, fl anhedral crystal up to 150 microns in greatest dimension.
Blossite is opaque, and white in blue -filtered white light in air, with weak to moderate bireflectance in shades of creamy-white, and a moderate anisotropy, from gray to creamy brown-gray.
Feeds |
Contact