Abstract ITALIAN MINERALOGICAL MAGAZINE nr. 1-2025 |
TOURMALINE FROM ELBA ISLAND: MORPHOLOGY, COLOURS, AND INTERNAL STRUCTURES | The study of tourmaline specimens from the Elba Island was performed using thin sections prepared cutting the crystal along or orthogonal to the elongation axis. This method allowed the identification of a variety of characteristic patterns formed by sectors showing different forms and colours. Indeed, tourmalines can record chemical-physical changes of the crystallization environment, through the selective incorporation of transitions elements that give rise to different colours. Thin sections (down to 10 μm thick) of tourmaline crystals have been prepared to examine these chromatic variations. In this paper the main textural features observed in tourmalines from the pegmatites of Elba Island are described and are illustrated. These observations give important insights about the internal textures of the crystals as well as about the growth mechanisms of tourmalines, allowing the description of several different kinds of phenomena (e.g., skeletal growth, dissolution, graphic intergrowths). |
PERIMORPHOSIS OF GOETHITE AFTER GYPSUM - THE SPECIMENS OF CAPO CALAMITA, ELBA ISLAND (LI) | The long-lasting mining activity performed on the Elba Island allowed the finding of world-class mineralogical specimens of hematite, pyrite and ilvaite. These minerals have been widely described in several scientific and amateur papers. Other Elban minerals, despite their scientific or aesthetic interest, have not had this privilege. This paper aims to describe one of these minerals, goethite. The most valuable specimens of this ferric iron oxy-hydroxide are those consisting of mammillary or globular aggregates within cavities of “limonite”. The localities that have provided the best specimens of Elban goethite are the Rosseto, Piè d’Ammone and Pozzofondi stopes in the Rio Marina mine, the Fornacelle mining site in Rio Albano, and Capo d’Arco. The most spectacular findings in terms of size and quality are those of the Piè d’Ammone site. Here, large cavities were found covered with shiny and iridescent mammillary goethite, sometimes containing aesthetic aggregates of numerous and thin stalactites, parallel to each other, internally hollow and with a constant section known as “organ pipe goethite”. This article reports a further finding of goethite performed in September 1973 at the Vallone Basso stope, Capo Calamita mine, Elba Island (LI). In these specimens, goethite crystallized on pre-existing prismatic crystals of gypsum grown on limonite; gypsum was later dissolved, leaving a hole within the goethite coatings. The cavity where these samples were found was partially covered by divergent or irregular, columnar goethite aggregates. Some specimens showed the classic mammillary aggregates characterized by several colours, sometimes iridescent or with a metallic luster. The broken columnar aggregates show a central hole having a regular pseudo-hexagonal shape due to the section of the monoclinic prisms that characterized the gypsum crystals. Rarely, the occurrence of gypsum relicts was observed. The most beautiful and sought-after samples were those with beautiful iridescence. The colours can change from steel grey to blue grey, to light blue and brown, although the surfaces were often covered with powdery ochraceous material. During the 1970s and 1980s these specimens gained a deserved fame for their aesthetic value and large size. Currently, only a limited number of specimens is still preserved in mineral collections owing to their extreme fragility. |
PYRITE FROM RIO MARINA (ELBA ISLAND): UNUSUAL FINDINGS FROM THE VIGNERIA STOPE
| Well-crystallized samples of pyrite from the Rio Marina mine are among the classic Italian mineral specimens. However, little is known about the specimens collected in the Vigneria stope, where pyrite was found in some unusual occurrences. Currently, this locality is no longer productive, and a residential complex and a parking area have been built in its place. Vigneria was the oldest mining site of the Rio Marina ore deposit, and it was abandoned at the beginning of the 1970s. An interesting finding was performed by two local mineral collectors, Anna Antola and Mario Muti, at the end of the 1980s. Some works exposed a lens of magnetite with scattered pyritohedral crystals of pyrite up to 3 cm in size. This finding agrees with the historical descriptions given by Federico Millosevich (1875-1942) based on the specimens of the Roster collection kept in the Museum of Florence. The Vigneria stope was known also for the occurrence of cubic and octahedral pyrite crystals. On the contrary, complex habits were not found. At the beginning of the 1980s, iron-cross’ twins of pyrite, up to 5 cm, were collected in clayey dumps of the +11.75 m tunnel. Moreover, close to the beach, some masses of hematite+clay minerals, visible only in certain conditions related to the tide level, hosted shiny octahedral pyrite crystals, up to 6 cm in size, that were collected by the two same mineral collectors cited above. This habit was the same described by Millosevich and commonly found during the 1880s. Finally, other pyrite specimens, with equant cubic individuals, have been found in clays exposed during some construction works near the Palazzo dei Riccetti, close to the Rio Marina village. |
COBALTITE, NATIVE GOLD AND BISMUTH TELLURIDES. AN EXCEPTIONAL MINERAL ASSEMBLAGE FROM THE GINEVRO MINE (ELBA ISLAND, TUSCANY, ITALY)

| Eastern Elba is well known for the exceptional specimens of hematite, pyrite, and ilvaite. However, mineralogical research has allowed the discovery of several mineral species and, among them, three new minerals: minguzzite and bonattite, discovered in the 1950s from the Capo Calamita mine, and riomarinaite, first reported in 2005 from Rio Marina. Several other species, interesting from a systematic perspective, have been described from these localities. During the 1990s, three of the authors of this paper (F.S., M.H. and P.R.) began an investigation about the occurrence of cobaltite in the ore deposits from Eastern Elba, discovering the presence of this cobalt sulfoarsenide in several localities, i.e. Punta della Calamita mine and Capo d’Arco mine. A further finding was performed at the Ginevro mine. In this locality mineralogical sampling has allowed the discovery of an exceptional assemblage of Co-Bi-Te-Au phases, first found in the open pit at the +14 level. Further specimens were collected in the old dumps and in the underground workings (+6 and -24 levels). In the studied assemblage, cobaltite is the most common mineral. It occurs as pseudo-cube-octahedral crystals, up to 5 mm, embedded in the skarn. Chemical data shows variable Ni and Fe contents (up to 0.26 and 0.17 atoms per formula unit, respectively) and S/As ratios slightly higher than 1. The presence of cobaltite is usually highlighted by pink-lilac efflorescence of erythrite, usually formed by globular aggregates of micrometer-sized tabular crystals. Cobaltite is often associated with bismuthinite, in lead-grey aggregates, up to 5 mm in length, and a member of the safflorite-löllingite series, rarely observed in lamellar crystals up to 3 mm. Once, cosalite was identified in this association. The most interesting feature of this cobaltite mineralization is the relatively widespread occurrence of Te minerals. Currently, the presence of at least four different species has been observed: ingodite, joséite, pilsenite, and ehrigite. Ingodite occurs as silvery flakes closely associated with cobaltite and bismuthinite. It has been identified through X-ray diffraction and WDS chemical analysis, pointing to the formula Bi1.92Te0.98S1.10. Minerals related to joséite have been reported on the basis of EDS chemical analysis, suggesting the occurrence of joséite-B, and X-ray powder diffraction, agreeing with the presence of joséite-A. This latter mineral forms a 5 mm mass composed of micaceous crystals, black in color. Other two Te species whose presence is hypothesized on the basis of EDS data only are pilsenite and ehrigite. In the studied samples there are also two native elements: bismuth and gold. The former is relatively widespread as very small grains, less than 0.05 mm in size, associated with cobaltite, gold, and Bi tellurides. Gold has been identified as micrometer-sized grains associated with cobaltite. Chemical data shows minor contents of Ag and Fe. Finally, a gold-bismuth sulfide, whose chemistry corresponds to that of jonassonite, was identified in sample collected in the old dumps as very tiny grains. |
Abstract ITALIAN MINERALOGICAL MAGAZINE nr. 2-2025 |
QUARTZ CRYSTALS FROM MANDELLO DEL LARIO (LECCO PROVINCE, ITALY)
| In the Maggiana area, near the town of Mandello del Lario (Lecco Province, Lombardy, Italy), excavations carried out since 1970 for the construction of the SS n. 36 route, revealed an interesting and complex mineralogical site. Beneath a bridge, numerous doubly terminated quartz crystals, up to several cm in size, similar in appearance to those from the well-known locality of Selvino (Bergamo Province) were found within vugs of calcareous-dolomitic rocks. Usually, quartz crystals show a darker color than those from Selvino. Later, between 2000 and 2003, excavations carried out about 200 m further north for the construction of a service station confirmed the extent of the mineralized area and allowed the collection of a large number of quartz crystals and, to a lesser extent, discrete samples of fluorite, calcite and dolomite. An in-depth study of the existing geological cartographic bibliography and local stratigraphy with the detection and sampling of rock bodies cropping out in the area was performed by one of the authors (P.G.B.) and al- lowed a better understanding of the deposit, establishing its belonging to the Middle Triassic rocks. It should be noted that the area is characterized by an extensive and more or less thin Quaternary cover which on the one hand explains the reason why these crystals have never been found and reported until the execution of the road works described here and on the other side explains the difficulty of correlating these rocks to those of the surrounding areas. Quartz crystals of Mandello del Lario are of particular interest both for the variety of crystal habits and crystal morphologies, and for the abundance of fluid inclusions, often (but not always) rich in fluores- cent hydrocarbons. In fact, almost all the types of crystals found are rich in white or yellow and sometimes blue, fluorescent substances, both at long and especially at short wave lengths. In this locality, nice specimens of cal- cite, fluorite, and “pyrobitumen” are associated with quartz. |
AMBER FROM CASTELVECCHIO, MODENA PROVINCE, ITALY 
| Amber from the Modena province has been reported since the second half of the 19th century. In the late 20th century, their actual occurrence was rediscovered, leading to decades of research and collection. Currently, amber is dated to Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) on the basis of calcareous nannoplankton. However, further studies are currently in progress to achieve an accurate knowledge of the geological setting and age of this amber occurrence. In this paper, the field-collecting experiences of the au- thors are described, providing testi- mony of the last 40 years of research. |
ANILITE AND BETEKHTINITE: A NEW OCCURRENCE FROM MONTECATINI VAL DI CECINA (TUSCANY, ITALY) 
| The mineralogical investigation of a specimen of analcime from the Mon- tecatini Val di Cecina mine (Tuscany, Italy) and formerly belonging to the mineral collection of Ercole Ridoni (1868-1943) allowed the identification of two mineral species previously not reported from this locality, i.e., anilite, 74 Cu S , and betekhtinite, (Cu,Fe) 22-24 Pb 2S15. The former occurs as prismatic crystals, up to 2.5 mm, with a metallic luster and a black color with a bluish tarnish. According to the hand-writ- ten labels of Ercole Ridoni, this min- eral was misidentified as chalcocite Betekhtinite occurs as acicular crystals, included in analcime or in very small vugs with calcite and laumontite. Anilite and betekhtinite crystallized under low-temperature conditions, probably less than 100 °C, along with calcite, analcime, and zeolites. |
Abstract ITALIAN MINERALOGICAL MAGAZINE nr. 3-2025 |
MINERALS FROM THE SALT MINES OF CENTRAL SICILY (ITALY)
| Along with the well-known sulfur mines, there are other mining activ- ities related to Messinian evaporitic deposits cropping out in Sicily, i.e., halite mines, exploited from several centuries, and potassic salts mines, whose exploitation lasted for forty years only and that was concluded at the beginning of the 1990s. Around the mid-20th century, the discovery of thick layers of K and Mg salts, in- terlayered with halite, promoted the exploitation of kainite, carnallite, and silvite from central-southern Sicily. In addition to the halite mines of Cat- tolica Eraclea, Cammarata, and Ra- calmuto, other mines were opened: San Cataldo (1956 and 1960), Santa Caterina (1959), Corvillo (1959), Pasquasia (1959), Racalmuto Gargi- lata (1960), Montedoro (1960), Real- monte (1971) and Milena (1983). The mining activity ceased within some decades and the last mines to be closed were those of Realmonte (July 1990) and Pasquasia (July 1992). During the exploitation of these de- posits, nice mineral specimens were found. The mineral species identi- fied so far are briefly described below. Their identification is usually based on modern X-ray diffraction and mi- cro-Raman data. Alum-(K): crystal line aggregates formed by octahedral crystals, up to 5 mm, from the San Cataldo mine (CL). Aphtithalite: well-crystallized specimens, with a pseudo-hexagonal habit, white-grey- ish in color, were found in the Palo Sec- tion of the San Cataldo mine (CL), in association with halite and kainite; the occurrence of aphtithalite from the salt deposits of Sicily is known from the mid-19th century. Anhydrite: usually it occurs as nodules within halite; only rarely well-crystallized specimens were observed. Bischofite: anhedral aggregates, colourless to white, mainly from the Pasquasia and Santa Caterina mines, in association with kainite; it is extremely hygroscopic and its specimens should be accurately stored. Blödite: it was typically known from the Sambuco-Casazze mine, near Calascibetta (EN), as granular aggregates or well-crystallized samples; very nice specimens were found in the Realmonte and Pasquasia mines, as colourless prismatic crystals, up to 10 cm in size, with halite. Carnallite: associated with halite, polyhalite, sylvite, and bischofite, this mineral forms granular aggregates; it has been reported from the Pasquasia, San Cataldo, and Racalmuto mines. Epsomite: fibrous aggregates, white or greyish. Halite: very nice specimens were collected in the Sicilian mines. Druses of cubic crystals, colourless, with cm-sized individuals, are known from the Racalmuto mine. Blue and violet crystals are also known. Octahedral or rhombododecahedral crystals are definitely rare. Kainite: usually it forms granular aggregates, whereas wellrystallized tabular crystals are rare. Kieserite: a dehydration product of epsomite; it is relatively common at the Pasquasia mine, as well as in the Sambuco-Casazze and San Cataldo mines. Leonite and picromerite: the former is mainly known from the Pasquasia and Realmonte mines. It transforms in picromerite uponhydration, whereas the latter can dehydrate to leonite. Several specimens kept in the mineral collections cannot be considered as minerals because they formed during the “schoenite process” and were not found in the underground workings. Polyhalite: lamellar-to-fibrous masses, associated with halite, with colour ranging from colourless to white, grey, pinkish and brick red. Sylvite: as granular aggregates or, rarely, as cubic crystals up to 3 cm in size, from the Pasquasia mine. |
GYPSUM FLOWERS FROM ROCCA CHE PARLA QUARRY, TRAPANI (SICILY, ITALY) | In March 1996, a finding of gypsum flowers was performed in the Rocca che Parla quarry, opened in the sedi- mentary succession of the Trapanese Domain. In particular, the quarry exploited the limestones belonging to the Inici Formation (Upper Trias – Lower Jurassic). Quarrying activity encountered the adit of a cave that later was known as “Grotta che Parla”. This cave has a peculiar origin, having been formed by the ascent of fluids of deep origin, enriched in CO2 and H2S. For this reason, it is considered as a hypogene cave. Gypsum specimens are represented by parallel association of prismatic to acicular crystals, some- times assuming a fibrous appearance. The most interesting specimens are the so-called “gypsum flowers”; in other cases, distorted or twisted crystal aggregates were observed. The speci- mens collected in 1996 were exhibit- ed during the mineralshows held in Caltanissetta and Turin in September and October of that year, respectively, and are now represented in several public and private collections. Three outstanding specimens are currently kept in the collections of the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali of Tu- rin. The “Rocca che Parla” quarry was known also for the occurrence of nice specimens of calcite and baryte, found in cm-sized crystallizations. |
CHUKHROVITE-(Ce) AND CREEDITE FROM ALÌ (MESSINA PROVINCE, SICILY, ITALY)
| Single-crystal X-ray diffraction, mi- cro-Raman spectroscopy, and electron microprobe analysis in WDS mode were used to fully characterize a new occurrence of chukhrovite-(Ce) and creedite identified in samples collected in August 2023 from the Tripi mine, near the hamlet of Alì, Messina Prov- ince, Sicily, Italy. Chukhrovite-(Ce) forms cube-octahedral crystals (rarely octahedral), up to 0.05 mm in size, white to colourless, within small fis- sures of quartz + fluorite veins, in association with creedite and fluo- rite. Empirical chemical formula of chukhrovite-(Ce) is Ca3.17 (Ce0.40 La0.19NdDy0.01)Σ0.97 Zr0.01 Al2.04 (S0.91P0.17P0.05Sm0.05GdY0.04 Eu0.01 0.05 0.02 Σ0.9 O [F Cl0.02(OH)2.88]Σ13.00·12H O. Unit-cell parameters are a = 16.7608(5) Å, V = 4708.5(4) Å3, space group Fd3. Creedite occurs as globular aggregates of colourless prismatic crystals, up to 1 mm long. Empirical formula of creedite is Ca3.15 Na0.03 Al1.93 (S0.99 P0.01) O4.002 O [F Cl0.02(OH)2.88]Σ13.00·12H O. 4 10.10 F [F8 1.30 (OH)0.70]·2H O. With respect to the ideal composition, creedite from the Tripi mine is enriched in F. Its unit- cell parameters are a = 13.9453(16), b = 8.6058(7), c = 9.9835(12) Å, β = 94.414(5)°, V = 1194.6(2) Å3, space group C2/c. The identification of chukhrovite-(Ce) is the second Italian occurrence for this mineral, after the finding in the Valvassera mine, Lombardy, whereas creedite was previously reported in Sicily from Stromboli and Vulcano Islands. An interesting result of this study was the definition of ne- otype material for chukhrovite-(Ce). Indeed, the examination of literature data demonstrated that the presumed type material of chukhrovite-(Ce) was actually Ce-rich chukhrovite-(Y) and consequently type material for chukhrovite-(Ce) was missing. Following a proposal to the IMA-CNMNC and its approval, the specimen of chukhrovite-(Ce) from the Tripi mine studied in this work was indicated as neotype material for this rare mineral. |
BADALOVITE – SECOND WORLD OCCURRENCE FROM BIANCAVILLA (CATANIA PROVINCE, SICILY, ITALY)
| The reexamination of an unknown mineral specimen collected more than 20 years ago in the Monte Cal- vario quarry, Biancavilla (Catania Province, Sicily, Italy) allowed its identification using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and electron mi- croprobe analysis. The studied phase occurs as sheaf-like aggregates of pris- matic crystals up to 0.5 mm in length, yellowish to brownish in colour, as- sociated with rhombohedral hema- tite, pseudobrookite, and an amphi- bole-supergroup mineral (probably fluoro-edenite). Unit-cell parameters are a = 11.9760(5), b = 12.7857(5), c = 6.6650(3) Å, β = 112.689(2)°, V = 941.58(7) Å3, space group C2/c. These values agree with members of the alluaudite supergroup, including both monoclinic phosphates and ar- senates whose distinction may require accurate chemical data. Electron microprobe data gave the chemical formula (Na1.74K0.01 CaMn0.27Ca0.11Zn0.03Fe0.84Al0.02) Ʃ3.010.30 Ʃ2.05) (Mg1.7(As2.85 Pto the end-member formula of bad-0.11 Ʃ2.96) O ,12 corresponding alovite, i.e., Na Mg Fe Micrometer-sized domains within badalovite are Ca- and Mg-rich and corresponds to the formula (Na1.44 K 0.01Ca0.66) Ʃ2.11(Mg2.27Mn0.28Zn0.01223+ (AsO ) .43 Fe 0.48)Ʃ3.04 (As2.79P ically corresponding to calciojohill- erite, ideally NaCaMg3(AsO4)3. Badalovite and calciojohillerite have been known so far only from the Ar- senatnaya fumarole, Tolbachik volca- no, Kamchatka, Russia, where they were first described in 2016. Some mineralogical data may suggest some similarities between Biancavilla and Arsenatnaya, with the former being a possible fossil-analogue of the latter. |
Abstract ITALIAN MINERALOGICAL MAGAZINE nr. 4-2025 |
GROTTA DELLO ZOLFO OF BACOLI (NA). NEW MINERALOGICAL DATA AND THE MISENITE AENIGMA
| The “Grotta dello Zolfo” is a site of notable naturalistic and mineralogical interest located in the Campi Flegrei area on the northern side of the Ba- coli crater, near the volcanoes of the Porto di Miseno and Miseno. These volcanoes have characterized the re- cent seismic activity of the Campi Fle- grei, having probably formed between 9,000 and 10,000 years ago. It is a nat- ural cavity located inside the caldera that originated after the eruption of the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff that covered the entire Neapolitan area with its pyroclastic products about 15-16,000 years ago. The hydrothermal manifestations observed in the Grotta dello Zolfo have led to the formation on its walls of newly formed minerals, especially hydrated sulfates. In 1840 Arcan- gelo Scacchi found here a new mineral which he gave the name of misenite,K 8H6(SO4)7. Over the years, many other famous scientists have studied the mineralogy of this site, among which Lazzaro Spallanzani, Scipione Breislak, and Ferruccio Zambonini. Theauthors of this work visited the cave several times finding five species not yet reported for this locality: blödite, Na Mg(SO ) ·4H O, goldichite, KFe2 42 2 3+(SO4)2·4H2O, pertlikite K2(Fe2+,Mg)2(Mg,Fe3+ picromerite K2Mg(SO4)2·6H2O and syngenite K2Ca(SO4)2·H2O. Despite numerous inspections car- ried out, the authors were unable to find any specimens of misenite, sim- ilarly to what happened to numer- ous other mineralogists who studied this locality after Scacchi and were unable to find misenite. Thanks to the courtesy of the curator of the Muséum National d’Histoire Natur- elle of Paris, Cristiano Ferraris, the authors had the opportunity to ana- lyze by X-ray powder diffraction the contents of a vial labelled as “misen- ite” belonging to the museum collections. Unexpectedly, other minerals already known, such as alum-(K), alunogen, pertlikite, and leonite, the latter not yet reported for this local- ity, have been identified in this vial, together with a mineral analogous to the synthetic compound, of formulaK SO ·7KHSO ·H O whose formulation is undoubtedly correct because it is supported by the structural res- olution from single-crystal X-ray dif- fraction data and thermogravimetric analyses. It remains to be established in this case whether it is a potentially new mineralogical species, whose complete characterization would re- quire further investigation, or wheth- er the formula of misenite proposed by Scacchi needs to be modified. |
CELESTINE A FINDING AT THE TAFONE MINE (TUSCANY, ITALY) | Blue celestine crystals, prismat- ic-tabular in habit, up to 1 cm in length, were collected in 1999 at the Tafone mine, in vugs lined by dolo- mite, associated with millerite and sphalerite. The former forms sprays of acicular crystals, up to 3-4 mm long, sometimes partially altered in greenish products (jamborite ?); the latter occurs as aggregates of mm- sized tetrahedral crystals, amber in colour, or in unusual onion-like ag- gregates. Finally, a dendritic aggre- gate of marcasite has been found in the same occurrence. |
MARIOANTOFILLIITE A NEW MINERAL SPECIES FROM LIGURIA
| Marioantofilliite, ideally [Cu4Al2 (OH) ](CO )·3H O, is a new mineral species recently approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomencla- ture and Classification of the Interna- tional Mineralogical Association under voting number IMA 2025-012. Its type locality is the Monte Copello – Reppia ore deposit, formerly exploited for py- rite and chalcopyrite ore bodies locat- ed at the tectonized contact between basalts and Calpionella limestone. Ore bodies are strongly altered and trans- formed in limonite. Several supergene minerals are known, i.e., allophane, brochantite, carbonatecyanotrichite, chrysocolla, connellite, cuprite, dela- fossite, gypsum, langite, malachite, and native copper, along with a doubtful occurrence of felsőbányaite. Some specimens showing light blue globular aggregates grown on allophane and sometimes associated with malachite were collected and tentatively identi- fied as carbonatecyanotrichite, also on the basis of some pictures uploaded on the mindat.org website where the identification was reported as based on SEM-EDS analysis. Another hypothe- sis was that these globules are formed by allophane. On January 12, 2024, X-ray diffraction clearly revealed that the phase was not allophane neither carbonatecyanotrichite. Later analyses revealed that it was a (Cu,Al)-carbonate belonging to the hydrotalcite supergroup. Unfortunately, owing to lack of single crystals for the solution and refinement of the crystal structure, such a relations remained speculative. After about one year of studies, on Jan- uary 7, 2025, a very small single crystal, 35 × 6 × 6 μm in size, was found. Fol- lowing the crystal structure study, the proposal for a new mineral species was now strong enough to be submitted for its approval. The proposed name was marioantofilliite, in honour of Mario Antofilli (1920-1983), a well-known mineral collector and former president of the Gruppo Mineralogico Ligure. Along with Emilio Borgo and Andrea Palenzona, he was author of the book “I nostri minerali – Geologia e Miner- alogia in Liguria”, published in 1983. He found the first specimens of tiragal- loite, studied by Carlo Maria Gramac- cioli and his coauthors between the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s. After his death, his collection was acquired by the Bergamo province and is now kept in the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali “E. Caffi” in Bergamo (Lombardy, Italy). On May 3, 2025, marioantofilliite was approved as a new mineral species. Its type material is kept in the Museo di Storia Naturale of the Università di Pisa and in the National Museum of Prague, Czech Repub- lic. Probably, marioantofilliite formed through the alteration of primary sulfides in a range of pH conditions ranging between 6 and 8. Its chemical formula is similar to that of carbonate- cyanotrichite (thus explaining the pre- vious erroneous identification), where- as its X-ray powder diffraction pattern is very different. Unit-cell parameters of marioantofilliite are a = 5.590(3), b = 2.9358(11), c = 7.675(3) Å, β = 100.958(17)°, V = 123.66(9) Å3, space group C2/m. Its crystal structure is topologically similar to those of oth- er member of the hydrotalcite super- group, showing a brucite-like layer with intercalated CO and H O groups. |