Joteite (IMA2012-091), Ca2CuAl[AsO4][AsO3(OH)]2(OH)2·5H2O, is a new mineral from the Jote mine, Tierra Amarilla, Copiapó Province, Atacama, Chile. The mineral is a late-stage, low-temperature, secondary mineral occurring with conichalcite, mansfieldite, pharmacoalumite, pharmacosiderite and scorodite in narrow seams and vughs in the oxidized upper portion of a hydrothermal sulfide vein hosted by volcanoclastic rocks. Crystals occur as sky-blue to greenish-blue thin blades, flattened and twinned on {001}, up to ~300 μm in length, and exhibiting the forms {001}, {010}, {10}, {20} and {111}. The blades are commonly intergrown in wheat-sheaf-like bundles, less commonly in sprays, and sometimes aggregated as dense crusts and cavity linings. The mineral is transparent and has a very pale blue streak and vitreous lustre. The Mohs hardness is estimated at 2 to 3, the tenacity is brittle, and the fracture is curved. It has one perfect cleavage on {001}. The calculated density based on the empirical formula is 3.056 g/cm3. It is optically biaxial (–) with α = 1.634(1), β = 1.644(1), γ = 1.651(1) (white light), 2Vmeas = 78(2)° and 2Vcalc = 79.4°. The mineral exhibits weak dispersion, r < v. The optical orientation is X ≈ c*; Y ≈ b*. The pleochroism is Z (greenish blue) > Y (pale greenish blue) > X (colourless). The normalized electron-microprobe analyses (average of 5) provided: CaO 15.70, CuO 11.22, Al2O38.32, As2O546.62, H2O 18.14 (structure), total 100 wt.%. The empirical formula (based on 19 O a.p.f.u.) is: Ca1.98Cu1.00Al1.15As2.87H14.24O19. The mineral is slowly soluble in cold, concentrated HCl. Joteite is triclinic, P, with the cell parameters: a = 6.0530(2), b = 10.2329(3), c = 12.9112(4) Å, α = 87.572(2), β = 78.480(2), γ = 78.697(2)°, V = 768.40(4) Å3 and Z = 2. The eight strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are [dobs Å (I)(hkl)]: 12.76(100)(001), 5.009(23)(020), 4.206(26)(120,003,121), 3.92(24)(022,02,02), 3.40(25)(13), 3.233(19)(031,023,123,03), 2.97(132,201) and 2.91(15)(22,13). In the structure of joteite (R1 = 7.72% for 6003 Fo > 4σF), AsO4 and AsO3 (OH) tetrahedra, AlO6 octahedra and Cu2+O5 square pyramids share corners to form sheets parallel to {001}. In addition, 7- and 8-coordinate Ca polyhedra link to the periphery of the sheets yielding thick slabs. Between the slabs are unconnected AsO3(OH) tetrahedra, which link the slabs only via hydrogen bonding. The Raman spectrum shows features consistent with OH and/or H2O in multiple structural environments. The region between the slabs may host excess Al in place of some As.

The new mineral currierite (IMA2016-030), Na4Ca3MgAl4(AsO3OH)12·9H2O, was found at the Torrecillas mine, Iquique Province, Chile, where it occurs as a secondary alteration phase in association with anhydrite, canutite, chudobaite, halite, lavendulan, magnesiokoritnigite, quartz, scorodite and torrecillasite. Currierite occurs as hexagonal prisms, needles and hair-like fibres up to ∼200 μm long, in sprays. The crystal forms are ﹛100﹜ and ﹛001﹜. Crystals are transparent, with vitreous to silky lustre and white streak. The Mohs hardness is ∼2, tenacity is brittle, but elastic in very thin fibres, and the fracture is irregular. Crystals exhibit at least one good cleavage parallel [001]. The measured density is 3.08(2) g cm -3 and the calculated density is 3.005 g cm -3. Optically, currierite is uniaxial (–) with ω= 1.614(1) and ε= 1.613(1) (measured in white light). The mineral is slowly soluble in dilute HCl at room temperature. The empirical formula, determined from electron-microprobe analyses, is (Na3.95A12.96Ca2.74Mg1.28Fe0.633+Cu0.13K0.08Co0.03Σ11.80 (AS11.685+Sb0.325+Σ12(O56.96Cl0.04)Σ57H30.81. Currierite is hexagonal, P622, with a = 12.2057(9), c = 9.2052(7) Å, V= 1187.7(2) Å3 and Z = 1. The eight strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines are [dobs Å(I)(hkl)]: 10.63(100)(100), 6.12(20)(110), 5.30(15)(200), 4.61(24)(002), 4.002(35)(210), 3.474(29)(202), 3.021(96)(212) and 1.5227(29)(440,334,612). The structure of currierite (R1 = 2.27% for 658 Fo > 4σF reflections) is based upon a heteropolyhedral chain along c in which AlO6 octahedra are triple-linked by sharing corners with AsO3OH tetrahedra. Chains are linked to one another by bonds to 8(4 + 4)-coordinated Na and 8-coordinated Ca forming a three-dimensional framework with large cavities that contain rotationally disordered Mg(H2O)6 octahedra. The chain in the structure of currierite is identical to that in kaatialaite and a geometrical isomer of that in ferrinatrite. The mineral is named in honour of Mr. Rock Henry Currier (1940–2015), American mineral dealer, collector, author and lecturer.