Zincite
| Zincite | ||
|---|---|---|
Specific gravity 5.64–5.68 | | |
| Optical properties | Uniaxial (+) | |
| Refractive index | nω = 2.013, nε = 2.029 | |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.016 | |
| References | [2][3] | |
Zincite is the
fluorescent minerals. It has a hexagonal crystal structure and a color that depends on the presence of impurities. The zincite found at the Franklin Furnace is red-colored, mostly due to iron and manganese dopants, and associated with willemite and franklinite
.
Zincite crystals can be grown artificially, and synthetic zincite crystals are available as a by-product of zinc smelting. Synthetic crystals can be colorless or can range in color from dark red, orange, or yellow to light green.
Both natural and synthetic zincite crystals are significant for their early use as semiconductor
cat's-whisker detector
.