ARSENIC



Arsenic was first reported from Sterling Hill by Palache (1941b) and has not been reported from Franklin. The known arsenic specimens consist of rare 0.5 to 5 mm crystals and blebs of dark gray, massive material up to 2 cm. Palache measured and illustrated a flattened rhombohedral crystal and identified the forms present. Arsenic is easily oxidized, and the known specimens have a black crust which is a mixture of arsenic and arsenolite, as identified employing XRD techniques. It is not known, however, if the arsenolite formed naturally before chemical dissolution of the host calcite in a laboratory process or formed contemporaneously with calcite-dissolution, or subsequently. Arsenolite, therefore, is not listed as a species from these deposits. Studied Sterling Hill arsenic is Sb-free and twinned on a microscopic scale.
Arsenic was found on the 900 level at Sterling Hill, where it occurs in a calcite matrix, associated with realgar, arsenopyrite, graphite, pyrite, zinkenite, and other minerals. A similar assemblage was found subsequently on the 1100 level, as mentioned under realgar, but arsenic has not as yet been identified from this material. (Dunn, 1995)

 Location Found: Ogdensburg
     
 
     
 Formula: As
 Essential Elements: Arsenic
 All Elements in Formula: Arsenic
     
 IMA Status: Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
     
     
 To find out more about this mineral at minDat's website, follow this link   Arsenic

     
 References:
Dunn, Pete J. (1995). Franklin and Sterling Hill New Jersey: the world's most magnificent mineral deposits. Franklin, NJ.: The Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society. p.519

Frondel, Clifford (1972). The minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill, a checklist. NY.: John Willey & Sons. p.43
The Picking Table References
 PT Issue and PageDescription / Comment
View IssueV. 17, No. 2 - September 1976, pg. 7The Post Palache Minerals - Arsenic (small article)
     
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