Lópezite
A rare red potassium dichromate from Chilean nitrate vugs — and a carcinogen.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Lópezite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the chromate class, with the chemical formula K₂Cr₂O₇.
It crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system (space group P-1).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 2.5; specific gravity 2.69; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Lpz, IMA status: approved, named in 1937.
Found as a rare secondary mineral in vugs in massive nitrate rock.
It is found associated with Tarapacáite, dietzeite, ulexite (Oficina Maria Elena, Chile).
The mineral was named to honor Dr. Emiliano Lòpez Saa (1871–1959), Iquique, Chile, Chilean mining engineer and mineral collector long associated with the Chilean nitrate industry.
Index entry. This entry combines official IMA/RRUFF species data with published physical-property data and a Wikipedia introduction — a full written entry hasn’t been published yet.
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