Sklodowskite Locality: Shinkolobwe Mine (Kasolo Mine), Shinkolobwe , Central area, Katanga Copper Crescent, Katanga (Shaba) , Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaïre) ( Locality at mindat.org ) Yellow acicular xls of Sklodowskite. Field of view 5 mm. Specimen and photo Leon Hupperichs. — Photo: Leon Hupperichs · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sklodowskite
A bright-yellow magnesium uranyl silicate — a secondary uranium mineral named for Marie Skłodowska Curie.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Sklodowskite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the silicate class, with the chemical formula Mg(UO₂)₂(SiO₃OH)₂·6H₂O.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system (space group C2/m).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 2–3; specific gravity 3.54; Yellow streak; Adamantine to vitreous and silky, earthy when massive luster; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Sds, grandfathered status — known before the IMA’s founding, named in 1924.
A rare secondary mineral formed by the action of silica-bearing waters on uraninite or earlier-formed secondary uranium minerals.
It is found associated with Kasolite, soddyite, torbernite, uranophane, uranophane-beta, nov¶ac·ekite, metazeunerite, curite.
The name refers to Marie Sklodowska-Curie (1867–1934), Polish-French physicist and chemist, pioneer worker on radioactivity.