Group: Arsenates
Chemical composition: Pb5(AsO4)3Cl
Colors: Yellow, Brown, Orange, Red, White
Hardness: 3.5-4
Formation: Reniform, botryoidal, globular, prismatic form
Principal Sources: Mexico, Namibia
Special Notes: Mimetite, whose name derives from the Greek mimethes, meaning “imitator”, is an arsenate mineral which forms as a secondary mineral in lead deposits, usually by the oxidation of galena and arsenopyrite. The name is a reference to mimetite’s resemblance to the mineral pyromorphite. This resemblance is not coincidental, as mimetite forms a mineral series with pyromorphite and with vanadinite. Industrially, mimetite is a minor ore of lead, especially when found in relatively large quantities.