| Willemite | |
|---|---|
 Willemite from Namibia | |
| General | |
| Category | Silicate mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | Zn2SiO4 |
| IMA symbol | Wlm[1] |
| Strunz classification | 9.AA.05 (10 ed) 8/A.01-20 (8 ed) |
| Dana classification | 51.1.1.2 |
| Crystal system | Trigonal |
| Crystal class | Rhombohedral (3) (same H-M symbol) |
| Space group | R3 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Colorless to white, gray, black, flesh-red, burgundy-red, pink, brown, dark brown, mahogany-brown, honey-yellow, yellow, apple-green, blue, pastel green, light blue, azure-blue |
| Crystal habit | Fibrous, botryoidal to massive |
| Cleavage | {0001}, {1120} – imperfect |
| Fracture | Irregular to conchoidal |
| Mohs scale hardness | 5.5 |
| Luster | Vitreous to resinous |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent to opaque |
| Specific gravity | 3.9 – 4.2 |
| Optical properties | Uniaxial (+) |
| Refractive index | nω = 1.691 – 1.694 nε = 1.719 – 1.725 |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.028 |
| Other characteristics | Strongly fluorescent; may be phosphorescent |
| References | [2][3][4] |
| Major varieties | |
| troostite | zinc is partly replaced by manganese |
Willemite is a zinc silicate mineral (Zn2SiO4) and a minor ore of zinc. It is highly fluorescent (green) under shortwave ultraviolet light. It occurs in a variety of colors in daylight, in fibrous masses and apple-green gemmy masses. Troostite is a variant in which part of the zinc is partly replaced by manganese, it occurs in solid brown masses.
It was discovered in 1829 in the Belgian Vieille-Montagne mine. Armand Lévy was shown samples by a student at the university where he was teaching. Lévy named it after William I of the Netherlands[5] (it is occasionally spelled villemite).[6][7][8] The troostite variety is named after Dutch-American mineralogist Gerard Troost.[9]
- ^ 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.
- ^ Anthony, John W.; Bideaux, Richard A.; Bladh, Kenneth W.; Nichols, Monte C. (2005). "Willemite" (PDF). Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineral Data Publishing. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
- ^ Willemite, Mindat.org, retrieved 23 July 2022
- ^ Barthelmy, David (2014). "Willemite Mineral Data". Webmineral.com. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
- ^ Denayer, Julien; et al. (2017). "Les sciences géologiques à l'Université de Liège : deux siècles d'évolution Partie 1 : de la fondation à la Première Guerre Mondiale". Bulletin de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liège (in French). 86. doi:10.25518/0037-9565.7303. ISSN 0037-9565. S2CID 134239255.
En 1829, [Armand Lévy] décrivit la willémite [...], nouvelle espèce minérale découverte à la Vieille-Montagne à Moresnet, et la dédia à Guillaume (Willem) 1er des Pays-Bas (Lévy, 1830; Lacroix, 1919; Buttgenbach, 1947a). « Ce minéral, très-abondant à Moresnet, avait échappé à l'attention des minéralogistes qui avaient visité cette localité, lorsqu'un élève de l'université de Liége en apporta plusieurs morceaux qui me parurent appartenir à une espèce différente de celles que je connaissais; en conséquence je me rendis sur les lieux, et, après avoir mûrement examiné les nombreux échantillons que j'y rencontrai, je fus convaincu que ma conjecture était fondée » (Lévy, 1843).
(Translation: "In 1829, [Lévy] described willemite, a new mineral discovered at Moresnet's Vieille-Montagne and dedicated to William I of the Netherlands. "The mineral—quite abundant in Moresnet—went unnoticed by mineralogists who had visited this location. A student of the University of Liège brought me several pieces that I was unfamiliar with, so I went to these places. After carefully examining the many samples that I came across, I was convinced that my supposition was founded.") - ^ See:
- Levy, A. (1830). "Lüttich, 14. September 1829". Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefaktenkunde (in German). 1: 71. From p. 71: "Bei einer Exkursion, welche ich neulich gemacht, glaube ich ein neues Mineral entdeckt zu haben; es soll Willemite heissen, nach S.M. dem König der Niederlande." (During an excursion which I made recently, I believe that I discovered a new mineral; it shall be called "Willemite", after His Majesty the King of the Netherlands.)
- Chester, Albert Huntington (1896). A Dictionary of the Names of Minerals Including Their History and Etymology. New York City, New York, USA: John Wiley & Sons. p. 288.
- ^ Wurtz, Charles Adolphe (1878). Dictionnaire de chimie pure et appliquée. Hachette. p. 722.
Syn. Wihlemite, williamsite, troostite. [...] dans les amas de calamine de la Vieille-Montagne
- ^ Bulletin de Minéralogie (in French). Masson. 1919. p. 127.
Ainsi s'explique qu'en 1829 il ait dédié au roi des Pays-Bas, Wilhem I, la villemite, qu'il venait de découvrir à la Vieille-Montagne.
("[...] in 1829 he dedicated to the king of the Netherlands, William I, the villemite, which he had just discovered at Vieille-Montagne.") - ^ "troostite". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.