Orange crystals of the extremely rare Pb-U mineral sayrite from the type locality in Shinkolobwe (Shinkolobwe Mine, Shinkolobwe, Kambove, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo). — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sayrite
A lead uranyl oxide — an alteration product of uraninite — named for crystallographer David Sayre.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Sayrite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the oxides & hydroxide class, with the chemical formula Pb₂(UO₂)₅O₆(OH)₂·4H₂O.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system (space group P2_1/c).
Key properties: specific gravity 6.76; Vitreous to adamantine luster; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Syr, IMA status: approved, named in 1982.
An alteration product of uraninite in the oxidized zone of a uranium orebody.
It is found associated with Uraninite, becquerelite, uranophane, richetite, masuyite.
The mineral was named to honor Dr. David Sayre (1924–), American crystallographer, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, USA.