Rosickýite

Native element mineral
(repeating unit)SIMA symbolRký[1]Strunz classification1.CC.05Crystal systemMonoclinicCrystal classPrismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)Space groupP2/cUnit cella = 8.455(3) Å,
b = 13.052(2) Å
c = 9.267(3) Å;
β = 124.89(3)°; Z = 4IdentificationColorColorless to pale yellow, green tingeCrystal habitEquidimensional to thin tabular crystals, efflorescencesTwinningOn {101}, with twin lamellae parallel to [010]CleavageNoneMohs scale hardness2 - 3LusterAdamantineDiaphaneityTransparent to translucentSpecific gravity2.07Optical propertiesBiaxial (-)References[2][3][4]

Rosickyite is a rare native element mineral that is a polymorph of sulfur. It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system and is a high temperature, high density polymorph. It occurs as soft, colorless to pale yellow crystals and efflorescences.[2][3]

It was first described in 1930 for an occurrence in Havirna, near Letovice, Moravia, Czech Republic. It was named for Vojtĕch Rosický (1880–1942), of Masaryk University, Brno.[2][3]

Rosickyite occurs as in Death Valley within an evaporite layer produced by a microbial community. The otherwise unstable polymorph was produced and stabilized within a cyanobacteria dominated layer.[5]

References

  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ a b c Handbook of Mineralogy
  3. ^ a b c Rosickyite on Mindat.org
  4. ^ Rosickyite on Webmineral.com
  5. ^ Susanne Douglas and Heixong Yang, Mineral biosignatures in evaporites: Presence of rosickyite in an endoevaporitic microbial community from Death Valley, California, Geology, Dec. 2002, v 30, pp1075-1078