The Sulfates Class

Included in this class are various subclasses: the Sulfites, theChromates, the Molybdenates, the Selenates and Selenites, theTellurates and Tellurites and the Tungstates.

The Sulfates are an important mineral class and include some very interesting and attractive specimens. Although many minerals belong to this class, only barite, gypsum, and anhydrite can be considered common. The basic chemical unit is the (AO4) complex anion with a charge of negative two (-2). The sulfites, selenites and tellurites (notice the spelling) have a basic unit of (AO3)The A can be either sulfur (S), chromium (Cr), tungsten (W),selenium (Se), tellurium (Te) and/or molybdenium (Mo). The principle anion group never shares oxygens with other principle anion groups and this limits the structural possibilities. The A atom at the center of the AO4 anion has a positive six charge (+6) and the oxygens have their obligatory negative two charge (-2). The AO4 anions form symmetrical tetrahedrons when A is either sulfur or chromium and flattened tetrahedrons when A is either molybdenium, selenium or tungsten. The flattened tetrahedrons form a square outline and help produce (in most of those minerals) a tetragonal (four fold) symmetry, which is an uncommon symmetry in minerals. The typical Sulfate Class mineral is vitreous, average to above average in density, average in hardness and are originally formed in veins, oxidation zones, contact metamorphic zones and in evaporite deposits. Some Sulfate Class minerals are soluble and several are fluorescent. All other properties are variable.

Subclass: Sulfates

  • Aluminite (Hydrated Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • The Alunite Group:
      The Alunite Subgroup:
    • Alunite (Potassium Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Ammonioalunite (Ammonium Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Huangite (Calcium Aluminum Sulfate Oxide Hydroxide)
    • Minamiite (Sodium Calcium Potassium Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Natroalunite (Sodium Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Osarizawaite (Lead Copper Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Walthierite (Barium Aluminum Sulfate Oxide Hydroxide)

      • The Jarosite Subgroup:
    • Ammoniojarosite (Ammonium Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Argentojarosite (Silver Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Beaverite (Lead Copper Iron Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Dorallcharite (Thallium Potassium Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Hydroniumjarosite (Hydronium Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Jarosite (Potassium Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Natrojarosite (Sodium Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Plumbojarosite (Lead Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Amarantite (Hydrated Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Ammonioalunite (Ammonium Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Anhydrite (Calcium Sulfate)
  • Aphthitalite (Potassium Sodium Sulfate)
  • Argentojarosite (Silver Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • The Barite Group:
  • Beaverite (Copper Iron Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • The Beudantite Group:
    • Beudantite Lead Iron Arsenate Sulfate Hydroxide
    • Corkite (Lead Iron Phosphate Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Gallobeudantite (Lead Gallium Arsenate Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Hidalgoite (Lead Aluminum Arsenate Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Hinsdalite (Lead Strontium Aluminum Phosphate Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Kemmlitzite (Strontium Cerium Aluminum Arsenate Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Orpheite (Lead Aluminum Phosphate Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Schlossmacherite (Hydrated Hydrogen Calcium Aluminum Arsenate Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Svanbergite (Strontium Aluminum Phosphate Sulfate Hydroxide)
    • Woodhouseite (Calcium Aluminum Arsenate Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Blodite (Hydrated Sodium Magnesium Sulfate)
  • Botryogen (Hydrated Magnesium Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Brochantite (Copper Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Burkeite (Sodium Carbonate Sulfate)
  • Butlerite (Hydrated Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Caledonite (Copper Lead Carbonate Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • The Chalcanthite Group
    • Chalcanthite (Hydrated Copper Sulfate)
    • Jokokuite (Hydrated Manganese Sulfate)
    • Pentahydrite (Hydrated Magnesium Sulfate)
    • Siderotil (Hydrated Iron Sulfate)
  • Charlesite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Silicon Hydroborate Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Chessexite (Hydrated Sodium Calcium Magnesium Zinc Aluminum Silicate Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Connellite (Hydrated Copper Sulfate Hydroxide Chloride)
  • Copiapite (Hydrated Iron Magnesium Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Creedite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Sulfate Fluroide Hydroxide)
  • Cyanotrichite (Hydrated Copper Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Despujolsite (Hydrated Calcium Manganese Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Devilline (Hydrated Calcium Copper Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Epsomite (Hydrated Magnesium Sulfate)
  • Ettringite (Hydrated Calcium Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Glauberite (Sodium Calcium Sulfate)
  • Goslarite (Hydrated Zinc Sulfate)
  • Gypsum (Hydrated Calcium Sulfate)
  • The Halotrichite Group
    • Apjohnite (Hydrated Manganese Aluminum Sulfate)
    • Bilinite (Hydrated Iron Sulfate)
    • Dietrichite (Hydrated Zinc Iron Manganese Aluminum Sulfate)
    • Halotrichite(Hydrated Iron Aluminum Sulfate)
    • Pickeringite (Hydrated Magnesium Aluminum Sulfate)
    • Redingtonite (Hydrated Iron Magnesium Nickel Chromium Aluminum Sulfate)
    • Wupatkiite (Hydrated Cobalt Magnesium Nickel Aluminum Sulfate)
  • Hanksite (Sodium Potassium Carbonate Sulfate Chloride)
  • Hauckite (Magnesium Manganese Zinc Iron Carbonate Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Hectorfloresite (Sodium Iolate Sulfate)
  • Heidornite (Sodium Calcium Borate Sulfate Chloride Hydroxide)
  • Hexahydrite (Hydrated Magnesium Sulfate)
  • Humberstonite (Hydrated Potassium Sodium Magnesium Nitrate Sulfate)
  • Johannite (Hydrated Copper Uranyl Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Jouravskite (Hydrated Calcium Manganese Carbonate Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • The Kieserite Group:
    • Dwornikite (Hydrated Nickel Iron Sulfate)
    • Gunningite (Hydrated Zinc Manganese Sulfate)
    • Kieserite (Hydrated Magnesium Sulfate)
    • Poitevinite (Hydrated Copper Iron Zinc Sulfate)
    • Szmikite (Hydrated Manganese Sulfate)
    • Szomolnokite (Hydrated Iron Sulfate)
  • Ktenasite (Hydrated Copper Zinc Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Lanarkite (Lead Sulfate)
  • Langite (Hydrated Copper Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Linarite (Lead Copper Sulfate hydroxide)
  • The Melanterite Group
    • Bieberite (Hydrated Cobalt Sulfate)
    • Boothite (Hydrated Copper Sulfate)
    • Mallardite (Hydrated Manganese Sulfate)
    • Melanterite (Hydrated Iron Sulfate)
    • Zinc-melanterite (Hydrated Zinc Copper Iron Sulfate)
  • Mirabilite (Hydrated Sodium Sulfate)
  • Mooreite (Hydrated Magnesium Zinc Manganese Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Morenosite (Hydrated Nickel Sulfate)
  • Mountkeithite (Hydrated Magnesium Nickel Iron Chromium Aluminum Carbonate Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Nakauriite (Hydrated Copper Carbonate Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Picromerite (Hydrated Potassium Magnesium Sulfate)
  • Plumbojarosite (Lead Iron Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Polyhalite (Hydrated Potassium Calcium Magnesium Sulfate)
  • Potassium alum (Hydrated Potassium Aluminum Sulfate)
  • Rapidcreekite (Hydrated Calcium Carbonate Sulfate)
  • Retgersite (Hydrated Nickel Sulfate)
  • The Rozenite Group
    • Starkeyite (Hydrated Cobalt Manganese Nickel Sulfate)
    • Boyleite (Hydrated Zinc Magnesium Sulfate)
    • Ilesite (Hydrated Manganese Zinc Iron Sulfate)
    • Rozenite (Hydrated Iron Sulfate)
    • Starkeyite (Hydrated Magnesium Sulfate)
  • Serpierite (Hydrated Calcium Copper Zinc Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Spangolite (Hydrated Copper Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide Chloride)
  • Sturmanite (Hydrated Calcium Iron Aluminum Manganese Sulfate Tetrahydroxoborate Hydroxide)
  • Tatarskite (Hydrated CAlcium Magnesium Carbonate Sulfate Chloride Hydroxide)
  • Thaumasite (Hydrated Calcium Silicon Carbonate Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Thenardite (Sodium Sulfate)
  • Torreyite (Hydrated Magnesium Manganese Zinc Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Ungemachite (Hydrated Potassium Sodium Iron Nitrate Sulfate)
  • Uranopilite(Hydrated Uranyl Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Vanthoffite (Sodium Magnesium Sulfate)
  • Voltaite (Hydrated Potassium Iron Sulfate)
  • Wherryite (Lead Copper Sulfate Silicate Hydroxide)
  • Woodwardite(Hydrated Copper Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide)
  • Zippeite (Hydrated Potassium Uranyl Sulfate Hydroxide)


See the Sulfate Subclasses for more minerals belonging to the Sulfate Class of minerals.
Much information for this page provided by the Mineralogy Database

Popular Members of the Sulfates Class
 

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