Botryogen
Encyclopedia
Botryogen is a hydrous magnesium
sulfate mineral
with formula: MgFe3+(SO4)2(OH)·7H2O. It is also known as quetenite.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic prismatic system and typically occurs as vitreous bright yellow to red botryoidal
to reniform masses and radiating crystal prisms. Its specific gravity
is 2 to 2.1 and its Mohs hardness is 2.
It occurs in arid climates as a secondary alteration product of pyrite
bearing deposites.
It was first described in 1828 for an occurrence in the Falu mine of Falun, Dalarna, Sweden
. It was named for its grape like appearance from Greek
botrys for bunch of grapes and genos to bear.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
sulfate mineral
Sulfate mineral
The sulfate minerals are a class of minerals which include the sulfate ion within their structure. The sulfate minerals occur commonly in primary evaporite depositional environments, as gangue minerals in hydrothermal veins and as secondary minerals in the oxidizing zone of sulfide mineral deposits...
with formula: MgFe3+(SO4)2(OH)·7H2O. It is also known as quetenite.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic prismatic system and typically occurs as vitreous bright yellow to red botryoidal
Botryoidal
A botryoidal texture or mineral habit is one in which the mineral has a globular external form resembling a bunch of grapes as derived from the Greek. This is a common form for many minerals particularly hematite where it is the classically recognized shape. It is also a common form of goethite,...
to reniform masses and radiating crystal prisms. Its specific gravity
Specific gravity
Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance. Apparent specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a volume of the substance to the weight of an equal volume of the reference substance. The reference substance is nearly always water for...
is 2 to 2.1 and its Mohs hardness is 2.
It occurs in arid climates as a secondary alteration product of pyrite
Pyrite
The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its resemblance to gold...
bearing deposites.
It was first described in 1828 for an occurrence in the Falu mine of Falun, Dalarna, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. It was named for its grape like appearance from Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
botrys for bunch of grapes and genos to bear.