Discovery Team
Jordi Ibáñez-Insa
Josep J. Elvira
Núria Oriols
Xavier Llovet
Joan Viñals

1

Abellaite

Verified December 2015   

NaPb2(CO3)2(OH)

Abellaite Abellaite was named in honor of its discoverer, amateur mineral collector Joan Abella i Creus. Found in the abandoned Eureka uranium mine in Catalonia, Spain, abellaite is an example of a hydrous carbonate mineral. Such minerals are often colorless or poorly crystallized, which potentially explains why abellaite was initially overlooked at a locality abundant with 61 other known mineral species. Cotype material is deposited in the collections of the Natural History Museum of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, specimen number MGB 26.350

Read more about abellaite: Carbon Mineral Challenge Update Spring 2016: Four New Minerals Found

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Abellaite was named after Catalan mineralogist Joan Abella i Creus who found the mineral. Photo via Mindat.

The new carbon mineral abellaite's namesake, Amateur mineral collector Joan Abella (wearing the helmet), and Jordi Ibanez pose outside the Eureka mine where the mineral was discovered.

Amateur mineral collector Joan Abella (left), and Jordi Ibanez inside the Eureka mine where abellaite was discovered. The mineral was named in honor of Abella.

Abellaite. Credit Matteo Chinellato

Abellaite. Credit Matteo Chinellato.

References: Mindat | Report an error or offer more information
Abellaite. Photo courtesy of Josep Soldevilla.

cc 2019. Carbon Mineral Challenge.