$475Median
2Sold (12 mo)
$200Last sale
Hodgkinsonite
8 in the gallery
Hodgkinsonite is a hydrated silicate mineral containing manganese and zinc, with a composition that includes silicate groups and hydroxide. It typically occurs as soft, often blocky crystals with a pale green to brownish green color and a resinous to submetallic lustre, commonly forming in low-temperature hydrothermal environments or as alteration products in oxide-rich systems. The mineral’s habit can be prismatic to tabular, and it may occur in modest-sized crystals that reflect its relatively gentle crystallization conditions.
- Formula
- Mn2+Zn2(SiO4)(OH)2
- Rarity
- Rare
- Stability
- Stable
- Collector interest
- Very High Interest
- Classification notes
- Silicate; Nesosilicate with hydroxide; presumably IMA group 4/ Silicate mineral with formula MnZn2SiO4(OH)2
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- monoclinic
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5–4
- Specific gravity
- 3.9–3.91
- Luster
- vitreous, pearly
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Color
- pink, red, brown, yellow
- Streak
- white
- Cleavage
- perfect
- Fracture
- uneven
- Crystal habit
- prismatic, tabular, granular, massive
- Fluorescent: red, orange
- Classic / historic
Where Hodgkinsonite is found
Top localities
- Franklin Mine4 specimens
- Buckwheat dump mineral collecting site3 specimens
- Franklin1 specimen
About Hodgkinsonite
Notable specimens have been reported from localities in the United States and other regions where manganese-rich hydrothermal activity occurs, contributing to its presence in collections that emphasize rare silicates with distinctive green hues. Hodgkinsonite is appreciated for its unusual combination of Mn and Zn in a silicate framework, along with its characteristic hydroxide-bearing structure, which can set it apart from more common manganese silicates. For collectors, it offers a window into specialized parageneses and mineralogical environments, rewarding careful study of crystal form, color zoning, and the subtle variations in transparency and luster that can accompany different assemblages.
