Jarosite

Jarosite has a trigonal crystal structure and is brittle, with basal cleavage, a hardness of 2.5-3.5, and a specific gravity of 3.15-3.26. It is translucent to opaque with a vitreous to dull luster, and is colored dark yellow to yellowish-brown. It can sometimes be confused with limonite or goethite with which it commonly occurs in the gossan (oxidized cap over an ore body). Jarosite is an iron analogue of the potassium aluminium sulfate, alunite.

Jarosite is often used to rid materials of impurities, and it is particularly important to the zinc industry as it can filter out iron and sulfate to result in cleaner and safer zinc. However, it is rare and often only occurs as small crystals, and is used somewhat infrequently in industry.

Jarosite was first described in 1852 by August Breithaupt in the Barranco del Jaroso in the Sierra Almagrera (near Los Lobos, Cuevas del Almanzora, Almería, Spain). The name jarosite is also directly derived from Jara, the Spanish name of a yellow flower that belongs to the genus Cistus and grows in this sierra. The mineral and the flower have the same color. Mysterious spheres of clay 1.5 to 5 inches in diameter and covered with jarosite have been found beneath the Temple of the Feathered Serpent an ancient six level stepped pyramid 30 miles from Mexico City.

Jarosite was first described in 1852 by August Breithaupt in the Barranco del Jaroso in the Sierra Almagrera (near Los Lobos, Cuevas del Almanzora, Almería, Spain). The name jarosite is also directly derived from Jara, the Spanish name of a yellow flower that belongs to the genus Cistus and grows in this sierra.