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
Floater of geometric perfection. Composed of slender prismatic crystals, very transparent, with well-defined terminations. Notable for its very pale orange (almost champagne) colour in a radial, symmetrical arrangement.
History of this specimen
A piece tied to a personal synchronicity: I acquired it after speaking with Rudolfbel, who follows my work on LinkedIn and turned out to be the former director of Mina Navidad (2019–2022). The connection was immediate when we discovered we had both grown up in coal-mining areas; knowing that harshness from within creates a particular mutual understanding of labour and human relations.
About Creedita
Creedite is a rare hydrated complex calcium–aluminium fluorosulphate that forms in the oxidised zones of complex sulphide deposits. It commonly occurs with fluorite because partial dissolution of the latter supplies the fluorine needed for crystallisation. Notably, many crystals, as in this case, appear to grow suspended in clay with no visible point of attachment. Well-crystallised creedite specimens were extremely rare until finds at Mina Navidad, Mapimí; even then, complete spherical floaters like this remained highly sought after. With Mina Navidad closed, even more so.
About the locality
Mina Navidad is world-famous for its orange creedites. 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.
- 0291
- 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 2.5
- Weight
- 17 g
- Acquired
- 2001
- Ex-collection
- Sergio Petretich
- Etymology
- Its name honours the Creede mine, Colorado, USA, where it was first described.
- Quality
- Muy buena
- Value trend
- Al alza