The new mineral antofagastaite, ideally Na2Ca(SO4)2·1.5H2O, was found in the oxidation zone of sulfide–quartz veins at the abandoned Coronel Manuel Rodríguez mine, Mejillones, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile. It is associated with sideronatrite, metasideronatrite, aubertite, gypsum, ferrinatrite, glauberite, amarillite and an unidentified Fe phosphate. Antofagastaite occurs as prismatic crystals up to 0.5 mm × 1 mm × 5 mm, elongated along [010], typically combined in open-work aggregates up to 1 cm across. Antofagastaite is transparent and colourless, with vitreous lustre. It is brittle; the Mohs’ hardness is ca 3. Cleavage is distinct on (001). Dmeas. is 2.42(1) and Dcalc. is 2.465 g cm−3. Antofagastaite is optically biaxial (–), α = 1.489(2), β = 1.508(2), γ = 1.510(2) and 2Vmeas. = 40(10)°. The IR spectrum is reported. Chemical composition (wt.%, electron microprobe, H2O determined by gas chromatography) is: Na2O 20.85, CaO 17.42, SO3 52.56, H2O 7.93, total 98.76. The empirical formula (based on 8 O atoms belonging to sulfate anions per formula unit with all H belonging to H2O molecules) is Na2.06Ca0.95S2.01O8·1.35H2O. Antofagastaite is monoclinic, P21/m, a = 6.4596(4), b = 6.8703(5), c = 9.4685(7) Å, β = 104.580(4)°, V = 406.67(5) Å3 and Z = 2. The strongest reflections of the powder XRD pattern [d, Å (I, %) (hkl)] are: 9.17 (100) (001), 5.501 (57) (011), 3.437 (59) (020), 3.058 (43) (003), 2.918 (50) (2¯11), 2.795 (35) (013) and 2.753 (50) (121, 201). The crystal structure was solved based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction data, R1 = 5.71%. The structure of antofagastaite consists of ordered and disordered blocks and is related to syngenite K2Ca(SO4)2·H2O. Incorporation of additional H2O molecules in the syngenite-type structure results in disorder of the one of the two tetrahedral sulfate groups occurring in antofagastaite. In addition to the above-reported type material, antofagastaite together with syngenite and blödite occurs in the Arsenatnaya fumarole, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia.

Tausoare Cave is renowned in Romania for its gypsum and mirabilite speleothems. Of interest are the white crystalline speleothems formed on the floor of the ‘Sala de Mese’ (Dining Room) that were previously described as consisting of mirabilite. The samples we collected reveal crystals of two different habits. One shows the characteristic mirabilite fibrous crystals (cotton-like speleothem) while the other formed bladed and short prismatic crystals which comprise the delicate ‘cave flowers’. The mineral association was characterized by means of X-ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe. Beside thenardite (dehydration product of mirabilite) we also identified three sulphate minerals: leonite [K2Mg(SO4)2·4H2O], syngenite [K2Ca(SO4)2·H2O] and konyaite [Na2Mg(SO4)2·5H2O]. Of these, leonite and konyaite have never been reported in a cave environment. This paper describes the mineralogy of this particular sulphate deposit and offers some viewpoints on the crystallogenesis.