| General Information |
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| Chemical Formula | Michael O’Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) More from other references |
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| Synthetic Sphalerite |
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| Synthetic sphalerite - ZnS; Isometric; Colourless, green, yellow; Transparent; Hardness 3-4; RI 2.25 - 2.35; Opt. isotropic; SG 4.03 - 4.09 - Gemmological Tables, Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, 2004, p 30 |
| Physical Properties of Sphalerite |
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| Mohs Hardness | 3.5 to 4Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references |
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| Specific Gravity | 4.01 to 4.10Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Cleavage Quality | PerfectHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references |
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| Fracture | ConchoidalArthur Thomas, Gemstones (2009) |
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| Optical Properties of Sphalerite |
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| Refractive Index | 2.368 to 2.371Herve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references |
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| Optical Character | IsotropicUlrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Dispersion | Very strongHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references |
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| Chatoyancy | YesHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) |
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| Colour |
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| Colour (General) | Opaque: black, gray-brown, cinnamon-colour. Translucent to transparent: yellow, yellow-green, green, red-yellow, yellowish-brownUlrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Causes of Colour | Yellow to black, iron → sulfur charge transfer. Green, Co2+ in tetrahedral coordinationW. William Hanneman, Pragmatic Spectroscopy For Gemologists (2011) |
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| Transparency | Transparent,Translucent,OpaqueUlrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, Gemmological Tables (2004) More from other references |
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| Lustre | Adamantine,ResinousMichael O’Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) More from other references |
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| Fluorescence & other light emissions |
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| Fluorescence (General) | Inert to strong orangy redHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references |
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| Crystallography of Sphalerite |
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| Crystal System | IsometricHerve Nicolas Lazzarelli, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references |
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| Habit | Tetrahedral, dodecahedralMichael O’Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) More from other references |
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| Geological Environment |
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| Where found: | Sphalerite occurs in a variety of hydrothermal conditions and is the chief ore of zinc.Michael O’Donoghue, Gems, Sixth Edition (2006) |
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| Further Information |
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| Mineral information: | Sphalerite information at mindat.org |
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| Significant Gem Localities |
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| Bulgaria | | |
| mindat.org | | China | | |
| mindat.org | | Spain | | |
| mindat.org |
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