Lairesite is a rare mineral that belongs to the zeolite group, a group of hydrated aluminosilicate minerals. It was first discovered in 2006 in the N’Chwaning II mine in the Kalahari Manganese Field of South Africa. The mineral was named after the town of Laíres in Menorca, Spain, where the type locality, a place where the mineral was first identified, is located.
Lairesite crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system and typically occurs as small, prismatic, or hair-like crystals. It has a pale to colorless appearance and may exhibit a vitreous to pearly luster on its surfaces. This mineral tends to form in cavities of oxidized manganese-rich host rock formations, commonly associated with other zeolite minerals such as pectolite, natrolite, and quartz.
Chemically, lairesite is composed of an intricate arrangement of aluminum, silicon, oxygen, hydrogen, and sodium, with traces of manganese. Its chemical formula can be represented as Na4[Mn2+9(H2O)2|Si10O24(OH)4(H2O)10]. Lairesite has a relatively low hardness of around 3.5 on the Mohs scale, making it relatively fragile and susceptible to scratching or damage.
As a mineral of scientific interest, lairesite contributes to our understanding of the geology and mineralogy of rare zeolite occurrences. Its unique crystal structure and chemical properties make it a subject of research for mineralogists, geologists, and crystallographers studying geological formations and mineral deposits.
