Chloride minerals

Halite ( ), commonly known as rock salt, is a type of salt, the mineral (natural) form of sodium chloride (NaCl). Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow or gray depending on inclusion of other materials, impurities, and structural or isotopic abnormalities in the crystals. It commonly occurs with other evaporite deposit minerals such as several of the sulfates, halides, and borates. The name halite is derived from the Ancient Greek word for "salt", ().

Sylvite, or sylvine, is potassium chloride (KCl) in natural mineral form. It forms crystals in the isometric system very similar to normal rock salt, halite (NaCl). The two are, in fact, isomorphous. Sylvite is colorless to white with shades of yellow and red due to inclusions. It has a Mohs hardness of 2.5 and a specific gravity of 1.99. It has a refractive index of 1.4903. Sylvite has a salty taste with a distinct bitterness.

Carnallite (also carnalite) is an evaporite mineral, a hydrated potassium magnesium chloride with formula KCl.MgCl2·6(H2O). It is variably colored yellow to white, reddish, and sometimes colorless or blue. It is usually massive to fibrous with rare pseudohexagonal orthorhombic crystals. The mineral is deliquescent (absorbs moisture from the surrounding air to the point of forming an aqueous solution) and specimens must be stored in an airtight container.

Atacamite is a copper halide mineral: a copper(II) chloride hydroxide with formula Cu2Cl(OH)3. It was first described from deposits in the Atacama Desert of Chile in 1802 by Dmitri Alekseyevich Golitsyn. The Atacama Desert is also the namesake of the mineral.

Chlorargyrite is the mineral form of silver chloride (AgCl). Chlorargyrite occurs as a secondary mineral phase in the oxidation of silver mineral deposits. It crystallizes in the isometric–hexoctahedral crystal class. Typically massive to columnar in occurrence it also has been found as colorless to variably yellow cubic crystals. The color changes to brown or purple on exposure to light. It is quite soft with a Mohs hardness of 1 to 2 and dense with a specific gravity of 5.55. It is also known as cerargyrite and, when weathered by desert air, as horn silver. Bromian chlorargyrite (or embolite

thumb|upright|Salammoniac crystal from Ravat Village, Tajikistan. One of many unusual salammoniac crystal specimens found in the area of Ravat Village, near [[Yaghnob River, where the crystals have grown in a feather-like or three-dimensional arborescent. Size: miniature, 3.3 × 1.4 × 1.4 cm]]

Abhurite is a mineral of tin, oxygen, hydrogen, and chlorine with the formula Sn21O6(OH)14Cl16 or Sn3O(OH)2Cl2. It is named after its type locality, a shipwreck with tin ingots at Sharm Abhur, a cove near Jeddah in the Red Sea. Abhurite forms alongside other tin minerals like romarchite and cassiterite. Abhurite can vary in color, from pale green/yellow to darker brown/green.

Marialite is a silicate mineral with a chemical formula of if a pure endmember or with increasing meionite content. Marialite is the sodium endmember of the scapolite group and a solid solution exists between marialite and meionite, the calcium endmember. It is a rare mineral usually used as a collector's stone.

Botallackite, chemical formula Cu2(OH)3Cl is a secondary copper mineral, named for its type locality at the Botallack Mine in St Just in Penwith, Cornwall. It is polymorphous with atacamite, paratacamite and .

Antarcticite is an uncommon calcium chloride hexahydrate mineral with formula CaCl2·6H2O. It forms colorless acicular trigonal crystals. It is hygroscopic and has a low relative density of 1.715.

Hanksite is a sulfate mineral, distinguished as one of only a handful that contain both carbonate and sulfate ions (a sulfate carbonate). It has the chemical formula Na22K(SO4)9(CO3)2Cl.

Diaboleite is a blue-colored mineral with formula Pb2CuCl2(OH)4. It was discovered in England in 1923 and named diaboleite, from the Greek word διά and boleite, meaning "distinct from boleite". The mineral has since been found in a number of countries.

Alforsite is a barium phosphate chloride mineral with formula: Ba5(PO4)3Cl. It was discovered in 1981, and named to honor geologist John T. Alfors (1930–2005) of the California Geological Survey for his work in the area where it was discovered.

Barstowite, formula Pb4[Cl6|CO3]•H2O, is a transparent to white mineral in the monoclinic system. It has a Mohs hardness of 3, a white streak and an adamantine lustre.

Lavendulan is an uncommon arsenate mineral in the lavendulan group. It is known for its characteristic intense electric blue colour. Lavendulan is very similar to lemanskiite, the analogue trihydrate mineral, to the point of them being considered dimorphs. Lemanskiite is tetragonal, but lavendulan is monoclinic. Lavendulan has the same structure as sampleite, and the two minerals form a series. It is the calcium analogue of zdenĕkite and the arsenate analogue of sampleite.

Anthonyite is a hydrous secondary copper halide mineral with chemical formula of .

Akaganeite, also written as the deprecated Akaganéite, is a chloride-containing iron(III) oxide-hydroxide mineral, formed by the weathering of pyrrhotite (Fe1−xS), an iron-deficient sulfide.

Cumengeite, also known as cumengite, is a secondary mineral that was named after mining engineer Bernard Louis Philippe Édouard Cumenge, who found the first specimens. It is easily confused with diaboleite. It is a valid species that was first described prior to 1959, and is grandfathered now, but it has been a valid species since 1893, since pre-IMA. It is the hydroxychloride of lead and copper.

Hydrohalite is a halide mineral that occurs in saturated halite brines at cold temperatures (below 0.1 °C) and is the most common form of hydrated sodium chloride. It was first described in 1847 from an occurrence in Dürrnberg, Austria.

Hilgardite is a borate mineral with the chemical formula Ca2B5O9Cl·H2O. It is transparent and has vitreous luster. It is colorless to light pink with a white streak. It is rated 5 on the Mohs Scale. It crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system. Crystals occur as distorted tabular triangles and are hemimorphic, polytypes exist.

Tachyhydrite is an unstable mineral, a hydrous chloride of calcium and magnesium with formula: CaMg2Cl6·12H2O. It is a rare component of marine evaporite salt deposits. Upon exposure to moist air it rapidly deliquesces and dissolves.

Challacolloite, KPb2Cl5, is a rare halide mineral. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system (with space group P21/c) and occurs as white fumarolic encrustations on lava. It occurs as intergrowths with cotunnite.

Sampleite has a general formula of NaCaCu5(PO4)4Cl·5(H2O). It was first described in 1942 for an occurrence in Chuquicamata, Chile and was named after Mat Sample, a mine superintendent for the Chile Exploration Company.

Herbertsmithite is a rhombohedral green-coloured mineral with chemical formula ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2. It is named after the mineralogist Herbert Smith (1872–1953) and was first found in 1972 in Chile. It is polymorphous with kapellasite and closely related to paratacamite. Herbertsmithite has also been found near Anarak, Iran, hence its other name, anarakite.

Corderoite is an extremely rare mercury sulfide chloride mineral with formula Hg3S2Cl2. It crystallizes in the isometric crystal system. It is soft, 1.5 to 2 on the Mohs scale, and varies in color from light gray to black and rarely pink or yellow.

Cadwaladerite is a rare aluminium halide mineral with formula: AlCl(OH)2·4(H2O). It was reported for an amorphous substance associated with sulfate minerals and embedded in a halite crystal cluster. Its status is uncertain due to inadequate data. It was first described in 1941 for an occurrence in mine dumps of the Victoria Segunda mine Cerros Pintados, Iquique province, Tarapacá Region, Chile. It was named for Charles Meigs Biddle Cadwalader, president of the Academy of Natural Sciences. Lesukite was discredited (IMA2018-H).

Triazolite is an organic mineral with the chemical structure of NaCu2(N3C2H2)2(NH3)2Cl3·4H2O, and is formed in conjunction with chanabayite, another natural triazolate anion salt. Triazolite has only been found in Pabellón de Pica, Chanabaya, Iquique Province, Tarapacá Region, Chile, due to its specific requirements for formation. The first specimens of triazolite were found in what is suspected to be the guano of the guanay cormorant. The guano reacted to chalcopyrite-bearing gabbro, allowing the formation for triazolite to take place. Triazolite was initially grouped together with chanabayit

Chambersite is a manganese borate mineral with formula . It is a member of the borate mineral series that includes other minerals such as ericaite () and boracite (). When chambersite was first discovered, it was the second chemical analogue of boracite to be found in nature. It was discovered as a mineral at Barber's Hill salt dome in Texas in 1957 and in 1971 at the Dongshuichang deposit in Jixian, Tianjin, China. Chambersite occurs associated with the evaporite minerals halite, anhydrite, and gypsum.

Chlorocalcite is a rare potassium calcium chloride evaporite mineral with formula: KCaCl3. It is found in active volcanic fumaroles.

Jagoite is a hexagonal-ditrigonal, dipyramidal, yellow-green lead-silicate mineral consisting of calcium, chlorine, hydrogen, iron, lead, magnesium, oxygen, silicon, and sodium. Its discovery was first published in 1957.

Chanabayaite is the first recognized triazolate mineral, having the formula .

Lemanskiite is a mineral that was first discovered in a mine at Abundancia mine, El Guanaco mining district, Chile, with the ideal formula of NaCaCu5(AsO4)4Cl·3H2O. Originally, this mineral was discovered as being dimorphus with lavendulan, but in 2018 it was revised to only have 3 water molecules. Lemanskiite typically occurs as rosette-shaped aggregates of thin lamellar or needle-shaped aggregates, such as lammerite. Lemanskiite is dark sky blue with a light blue streak, it is brittle with an excellent cleavage plane. It was found on a dumping site in the abandoned Abundancia mine, El Guanac

Aiolosite is a rare sodium bismuth sulfate mineral with the chemical formula NaBi(SO)Cl. Its type locality is Vulcano, Sicily, Italy. Its name comes from the Greek name Aeolus.

Ammineite is the first recognized mineral containing ammine groups. Its formula is [CuCl2(NH3)2]. The mineral is chemically pure. It was found in a guano deposit in Chile. At the same site other ammine-containing minerals were later found:

Aubertite is a mineral with the chemical formula CuAl(SO4)2Cl·14H2O. It is colored blue. Its crystals are triclinic pedial. It is transparent. It has vitreous luster. It is not radioactive. Aubertite is rated 2-3 on the Mohs Scale. The sample was collected by J. Aubert (born 1929), assistant director, National Institute of Geophysics, France, in the year 1961. Its type locality is Queténa Mine, Toki Cu deposit, Chuquicamata District, Calama, El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile.

Pinalite is a rare lead tungstate–chloride mineral with formula: Pb3WO5Cl2.

Mendipite is a rare mineral that was named for the locality where it is found, the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. It is an oxyhalide of lead with formula Pb3Cl2O2.

Feodosiyite is a very rare chloride mineral, just recently approved, with the formula Cu11Mg2Cl18(OH)8•16H2O. Its structure is unique. Feodosiyite comes from the Tolbachik volcano, famous for many rare fumarolic minerals. Chemically similar minerals, chlorides containing both copper and magnesium, include haydeeite, paratacamite-(Mg) and tondiite.

Iyoite is a very rare manganese copper chloride hydroxide mineral with the formula MnCuCl(OH)3. Iyoite is a new member of the atacamite group, and it an analogue of botallackite characterized in manganese and copper ordering. Iyoite is monoclinic (space group P21/m). It is chemically similar to misakiite. Both minerals come from the Ohku mine in the Ehime prefecture, Japan.