Boleite - Sold


Boleite is one of three lead copper oxychloride minerals first described from Baja California. Mallard (1891) named boleite after Boleo, Mexico, near the discovery site. Boleite is an unusual compound and its crystal structure and chemistry have eluded crystallographers for over a century until Cooper and Hawthorne (2000) finally resolved the chemical formula: KPb26 Ag9Cu24 Cl62(OH)48. Most crystals are found suspended in clay, and consequently fall out with the dessication of the matrix. This example, an above average sized simple cube, is 8 mm across. There is some micro-chipping on the edges of the cube faces. Nevertheless, suitable for a thumbnail display.