Otavite
Mineral CdCO3
Take care.
- Toxic: Wash your hands after handling it, don't lick or taste it, and don't make dust.
About it
Pale crusts and tiny rhombs, the cadmium member of the calcite group; rare, and toxic from its cadmium. Named for the Otavi Mountains of Namibia, and first found at Tsumeb.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Carbonate, calcite group
- Formula
- CdCO3
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 3.5–4
- Specific gravity
- 4.9–5.1
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- adamantine (diamond-like), pearly
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Colours
- white, yellowish brown, reddish
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- perfect rhombohedral
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.