Hemimorphite Stone Beads
Chemical Formula: Zn4Si2O7(OH)2·H2O
Color: Blue-green, green, white, colorless, brown and yellow
Hardness: 4.5 - 5.0
Specific Gravity: 3.4
Hemimorphite or Calamine is one of the more common sorosilicates that forms in oxidized zinc deposits and occurs in clusters of radiating, acicular crystals. Hememorphite gets the name from its polar or hemimorphic crystals. The hemi means half while the morph means shape and thus hemimorphite is aptly named.
Hemimorphite is available in two different forms- one form produces very glassy, clear or white, thin, bladed crystals, often well formed showing many crystal faces. The other form produces a blue to blue-green botryoidal crust that resembles smithsonite or prehnite. Prehnite has a lower density and is usually greener and has different associations with other minerals. For a collector both forms are a must in their mineral collections. The gemstone is found in the regions of Santa Eulalia and Mapimi, Mexico; New Mexico and New Jersey, USA: England and Zambia.
