Sabelliite
A copper-zinc arsenate discovered in Sardinia's Is Murvonis fluorite mine, growing in compact quartzitic matrix.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Sabelliite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the arsenate class, with the chemical formula Cu₂Zn(AsO₄)(OH)₃.
It crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system (space group P-3).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 4.5; specific gravity 4.65; Pale green streak; Adamantine luster; optically uniaxial.
IMA symbol Sbl, IMA status: approved, named in 1994.
A rare mineral found in the oxidized zone of a hydrothermal copper deposit, formed by weathering of sulfides and sulfosalts.
It is found associated with Theisite, malachite, azurite, tetrahedrite.
The mineral was named to honor Dr. Cesare Sabelli (1934–), Consiglio Nazionale della Ricerche, Florence, Italy, who has worked with the copper-bearing alteration minerals of Sardinia, Italy.