What is Beudantite?
Beudantite is a member of the alunite supergroup and contains both arsenate and sulphate groups. Its bright colour and unusual chemistry make it an informative secondary mineral for collectors.
Mineralogy and structure
The formula is PbFe3(AsO4)(SO4)(OH)6. Beudantite crystallises in the trigonal system and has moderate hardness with a relatively high specific gravity because of lead and iron.
Colour and appearance
Colours include yellow, yellow-brown, olive green and brown. It commonly forms earthy coatings, botryoidal crusts and tiny rhombohedral crystals with vitreous to resinous lustre.
Formation and localities
Beudantite forms in the oxidation zones of lead, copper, zinc and iron deposits, often with limonite, scorodite, mimetite and other arsenates. Classic occurrences are known from Europe, Mexico, Australia, Namibia and the United States.
Collecting and care
Lead- and arsenic-bearing specimens should be treated as display minerals. Do not cut, grind or use them in jewellery; keep them away from food and wash hands after handling.
Beudantite and zodiac signs
Popular mineral symbolism sometimes assigns Beudantite to Scorpio or Capricorn because of its dark earth tones and ore-deposit origin. This is not a scientific classification.
Symbolic and esoteric associations
Esoteric writers may use beudantite to represent transformation in the oxidised zone, where one mineral changes into another. The metaphor does not imply a verified effect on people.
