Ottensite, brizziite and mopungite from Pereta mine (Tuscany, Italy): new occurrences and crystal structure refinement of mopungite

Ottensite, Na-3 (Sb2O3)(SbS3)center dot 3H(2)O, brizziite, NaSbO3, and mopungite, NaSb(OH)(6), have been found on several specimens from the antimony mine of Pereta (Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy). Ottensite from Pereta mine occurs as brilliant reddish-brown spheroidal aggregates, with a diameter up to 0.2 mm, formed by radially oriented individuals. These aggregates are associated with well-shaped tabular and pseudocubic colourless crystals of mopungite and platy aggregates of brizziite. This is the second world occurrence of ottensite and brizziite. The mineral species were characterized by electron microprobe analysis, X-ray diffraction study and microRaman spectroscopy. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data were collected on a twinned crystal of mopungite and the structure was for the first time refined on a natural sample in space group P4(2)/n [unit cell parameters a = 8.036(3) , c = 7.926(6) , V = 511.88(5) (3), Z = 4] obtaining an R (1) -index of 5.17, wR (2) of 13.52 and GooF of 1.247.