Creedita
Creedita is a mineral with formula Ca₃Al₂(SO₄)(F,OH)(SO₄)₃·2H₂O, in the Sulfatos group. This specimen comes from Mina Navidad, Mapimí, Durango, México and joined the Terrium collection in 2001.
Description
Specimen with a small geode showing internal crystal growth. Intense orange colour, with crystals of good lustre and habit.
History of this specimen
I bought it just after a conversation with Rudolfbel, who has followed my work on LinkedIn for years and turned out to have been director of Mina Navidad from 2019 to 2022, the classic source of creedite. I liked the coincidence and the unexpected connection: we both grew up in coal-mining areas and perhaps knowing from the inside the harshness of that work makes us relate to others in a very similar way. The piece is associated with all this synchronicity.
About Creedita
Creedite is a rare hydrated calcium-aluminium fluorosulphate that forms in the oxidised zones of complex sulphide deposits. It commonly occurs with fluorite because, as the latter partially dissolves, it supplies the fluorine required for crystallisation. Well-crystallised creedite specimens were extremely rare until they were found at Mina Navidad, Mapimí.
About the locality
Mina Navidad is world-famous for its orange creedite. Mining has been irregular, often carried out by "gambusinos" (artisanal miners), and today the availability of high-quality specimens is very limited because it is, in practice, closed to this type of extraction.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0011
- Composition
- Ca₃Al₂(SO₄)(F,OH)(SO₄)₃·2H₂O
- Name
- Creedita
- Group
- Sulfatos
- Category
- Asteris Explosio
- Matrix
- Floater
- Mine
- Mina Navidad
- District / Municipality
- Mapimí
- Region
- Durango
- Country
- México
- Size (cm)
- 4 x 3 x 3
- Weight
- 17.5 g
- Acquired
- 2001
- Ex-collection
- Sergio Petretich
- Etymology
- From English "Creede", the original description locality (Colorado, USA), with the mineral suffix "-ite".
- Quality
- Muy buena
- Value trend
- Al alza