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Witherite [abbr. Wth ]

Year of discovery: 1790 (Brownley Hill mine, UK), 1894 (Japan)

Locality list: 7 localities of witherite

• BaCO₃
• [Ba²⁺][CO₃]^2-

• Class: Aragonite group
• Class: Carbonate
• Soluble in: HCl (with bubbles)
• Fluorescence: UV excitation (Bluish white-Yellow)

• Ba => Ca: Calcite, Aragonite, Vaterite
• Ba => Mn: Rhodochrosite
• Ba => Mg: Magnesite
• Ba => Fe: Siderite
• Ba => Cd: Otavite
• Ba => Zn: Smithsonite
• Ba => Ni: Gaspéite (Gaspeite)
• Ba => Co: Spherocobaltite
• Ba => Sr: Strontianite
• Ba => Pb: Cerussite
• Ba => Na₂: Gregoryite

• Ba₂ => CaBa: Barytocalcite, Alstonite, Paralstonite

• Color: Colorless, Pale yellow
• Streak: White
• Luster: Vitreous
• Diaphaneity: Transparent-Translucent

• Habit: Hexagonal pyramidal

• Cleavage: Distinct on {010} (1 plane), Imperfect on {110} (2 planes)
• Hardness: 3-3.5
• Density: 4.3

• System: Orthorhombic
• Group: mmm, Pmcn
• Lattice: a=5.3, b=8.9, c=6.4

Etymology: William Withering (1741-1799), British medical doctor