Fornacite is a rare lead, copper chromate arsenate hydroxide mineral with the formula: Pb2Cu(CrO4)(AsO4)(OH). It forms a series with the phosphate mineral vauquelinite. It forms variably green to yellow, translucent to transparent crystals in the monoclinic - prismatic crystal system. It has a Mohs hardness of 2.3 and a specific gravity of 6.27.

It was first described in 1915 and named after Lucien Lewis Forneau (1867–1930) the governor of the French Congo. Its type locality is in Reneville, Republic of Congo.

Fornacite

It occurs in the oxidized zone of ore deposits and is associated with dioptase, wulfenite, hemihedrite, phoenicochroite, duftite, mimetite, shattuckite, chrysocolla, hemimorphite, willemite and fluorite.

Fornacite

References

Lead minerals

Copper(II) minerals

Chromate minerals

Arsenate minerals

Monoclinic minerals

Minerals in space group 14

Fornacite