herbertsmithite

{{Infobox mineral | name = Herbertsmithite | category = Halide mineral | image = Herbertsmithite-163165.jpg | caption = Herbertsmithite from Caracoles, Sierra Gorda District, Tocopilla Province, Chile (size: 4.5 × 4.4 × 2.7 cm) | formula = ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2 | IMAsymbol = Her | molweight = | strunz = 3.DA.10c | system = Trigonal | class = Hexagonal scalenohedral (m) H-M symbol: ( 2/m) | symmetry = Rm | unit cell = a = 6.834 Å c = 14.075 Å; Z = 3 | color = Light green, blue-green | habit = Aggregates of rhombohedral crystals | twinning = | cleavage = Good on {101} | fracture = | tenacity = Brittle | mohs = 3–3.5 | luster = Vitreous to adamantine | polish = | refractive = nε 1.817, nω 1.825 | opticalprop = Uniaxial (−) | birefringence = 0.0080 | dispersion = | pleochroism = | fluorescence= | absorption = | streak = Light green | gravity = 3.75–3.95 | density = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | diaphaneity = Transparent | other = | references = }}

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.