ZINCITE
Zincite is a distinctive reddish-colored zinc oxide
mineral (ZnO). Pure ZnO is white, but natural zincite is red due to Fe+3
impurities. Zincite is a rare mineral. Only one place on Earth has
zincite in abundance - the Franklin and Sterling Hill areas of northern New
Jersey, USA.
Zincite has a nonmetallic, glassy luster, usually a
deep red color, a hardness of 4, one cleavage plane and one parting plane, and
is fairly heavy for its size. It is almost invariably associated with
franklinite, calcite, and willemite.
Zincite
(~1 mm each) from residue of crushed zinciferous marble (zinc ore:
franklinite-zincite-willemite-calcite rock). From the
Mesoproterozoic-aged Franklin Marble at the Sterling Hill Mine in Franklin,
northern New Jersey, USA.