Mineral Species
Lauraniite
Type Locality
No
Composition
Cu6Cd2(SO4)2(OH)12·5H2O
Crystal System
Monoclinic
Status at Tsumeb
Believed valid
Abundance
Extremely rare
Distribution
Undetermined
Paragenesis
Supergene
Entry Number
Species; TSNB203
General Notes
The occurrence of lauraniite at Tsumeb was reported by Joy Désor in April 2020, based on analysis by SEM-EDS and Raman spectroscopy (Joy Désor - New minerals for the Tsumeb mine, Namibia (mindat.org); accessed October 2022).
Lauraniite is one of several cadmium-bearing minerals discovered by Désor in a large specimen of germanite ore (with chalcocite, galena and sphalerite) containing vugs hosting cerussite, galloplumbogummite and pyromorphite. The paragenesis includes edwardsite, niedermayrite, ktenasite, lazaridisite and otavite.
At Tsumeb lauraniite occurs as minute (usually < 10 μm) crystals, colourless to very pale blue, with a sharp triangular habit and typically intergrown with edwardsite.
Associated Minerals
cerussite; chalcocite; edwardsite; galena; galloplumbogummite; germanite; gunningite; ktenasite; lazaridisite; niedermayrite; otavite; pyromorphite; sphalerite
