Abhurite (Picture size 5 mm) Locality: Shipwreck "Hydra", South coast of Norway Brownish tabular crystals of abhurite. Abhurite is only known as corrosion product of tin artefacts. Collection and photo Thomas Witzke. — Photo: Thomas Witzke · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Abhurite
An unusual tin hydroxy-chloride named for Sharm Abhur, a Red Sea cove near Jeddah where it was found on corroding tin ingots from a shipwreck.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Abhurite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the halide class, with the chemical formula Sn²⁺₂₁O₆(OH)₁₄Cl₁₆.
It crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system (space group R32).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 2; specific gravity 4.42; White streak; Opalescent luster; refractive index 2.085; optically uniaxial.
IMA symbol Abh, IMA status: approved, named in 1983.
Found in blisterlike protuberances on the surface of a tin ingot recovered from a ship wrecked possibly 100 years ago (Sharm Abhur cove, Saudi Arabia).
It is found associated with Romarchite, kutnohorite, aragonite.
The name refers to the Saudi Arabian locality at Sharm Abhur Cove.