Abellaite is a hydrocarbonate mineral found in a uranium mine, in one of the galleries of the long-abandoned Eureka deposit, in the southern Pyrenees (province of Lleida), Catalonia, Spain. Individual crystals are usually plate-like and form rather disordered aggregates.
The crystals are white or colorless, with a glassy or pearly luster, and also crumble easily. Does not fluoresce in the presence of ultraviolet light.
It is a yellowish green dimorph of an unknown lead sodium carbonate hydroxide.
Grows in association with primary minerals such as:
- Pyrite.
- Roscolit.
- Uraninite.
- Galena.
- Coffinite.
- sphalerite.
- Kovellin.
- Chalcopyrite, as well as hydrozincite, aragonite, gordaite, cheikaite, malachite, and devilline.
Named after Joan Abella i Creu, a Catalan gemologist who studied minerals from the Eureka mine for a long time and first discovered abellite.
Chemical formula of NaPb2(CO3)2(OH).
Finding
Catalonia, Spain: Eureka Mine, Castel Estato, La Torre de Cabdella, La Val Fosca, El Pallars Hussa, Lleida, Catalonia.
Field
Russia: Jubilee pegmatite, Karnasurt, Lovozero massif, Murmansk region, Northern region.
