Metazeunerite , Quartz Locality: Erongo Mountain, Usakos and Omaruru Districts, Erongo Region , Namibia ( Locality at mindat.org ) Size: miniature, 3.4 x 2.8 x 2.0 cm Metazeunerite on Smoky Quartz At the Munich show, a part of Namibian collector Heini Soltau's collection of Erongo material was privately being sold off, and among that lot were three remarkable, absolutely mesmerizing specimens to me...sharp crystals of zeunerite to 7mm perched on complete smoky quartz crystals. They come from a small pocket found in 2003 in granite , East of Tubussis (see NAMIBIA book, page 650). This specimen is infact ILLUSTRATED in the magnum opus NAMIBIA book which cam out last year in Germany (page 650, bottom). I think this was the best one for sale, and I was happy to get it. I understand that only a handful, perhaps less than a dozen specimens, came from this onetime pocket. This is a choice miniature of display quality for the species or for any Erongo suite. It can be displayed either vertically or as shown, though I prefer the crystals atop myself. — Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0
Metazeunerite
The natural dehydration product of zeunerite — a copper uranyl arsenate.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Metazeunerite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the arsenate class, with the chemical formula Cu(UO₂)₂(AsO₄)₂·8H₂O.
It crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system (space group P4/ncc).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 2–2.5; specific gravity 3.64; Vitreous, pearly on {001} luster; refractive index 1.638; optically uniaxial.
IMA symbol Mzeu, grandfathered status — known before the IMA’s founding, named in 1937.
Occurs as an uncommon secondary mineral in the oxidized zone of arsenic-bearing hydrothermal uranium deposits.
It is found associated with Torbernite, trögerite, walpurgite, uranospinite, erythrite, mimetite, pharmacosiderite, olivenite, chalcophyllite.
The prefix meta- denotes the dehydration product of zeunerite.