Mineral · Apatite group
Mimetite
Pb5(AsO4)3Cl
Mimetite is lead chloroarsenate, forming yellow to orange barrel-shaped crystals and botryoidal crusts at Tsumeb, Ojuela (Mexico), the Rowley Mine (Arizona) and San Pedro Corralitos. It 'mimics' pyromorphite, hence the name, and the two are hard to separate by eye. It contains both lead and arsenic.
| Formula | Pb5(AsO4)3Cl |
|---|---|
| IMA status | grandfathered |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal |
| Mohs hardness | 3.5–4 |
| Group | Apatite group |
| Type locality | Johanngeorgenstadt, Saxony, Germany |
| Streak | White |
| Specific gravity | 7.2 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Handling and safety
Lead and arsenic; no grinding, wash hands after handling.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Mimetite" (Mineral). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/mimetite. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-mimetite,
title = {Mimetite},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/mimetite}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.