Clinohedrite is a rare silicate mineral. Its chemical composition is a hydrous calcium-zinc silicate; CaZn(SiO)₄·H₂O. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and typically occurs as veinlets

Vein (geology)

In geology, a vein is a distinct sheetlike body of crystallized minerals within a rock. Veins form when mineral constituents carried by an aqueous solution within the rock mass are deposited through precipitation...

 and fracture coatings. It is commonly colorless, white to pale amethyst in color. It has perfect cleavage and the crystalline habit has a brilliant luster. It has a Mohs hardness of 5.5 and a specific gravity

Specific gravity

Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance. Apparent specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a volume of the substance to the weight of an equal volume of the reference substance. The reference substance is nearly always water for...

 of 3.28 - 3.33.

Under short wave ultraviolet

Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...

 light it fluoresces a rich orange color. It is frequently associated with minerals such as hardystonite

Hardystonite

Hardystonite is a rare calcium zinc silicate mineral first described from the Franklin, New Jersey, USA zinc deposits. It often contains lead, which was detrimental to the zinc smelting process, so it was not a useful ore mineral...

 (fluoresces violet blue), esperite

Esperite

Esperite is a rare complex calcium lead zinc silicate related to beryllonite and trimerite that used to be called calcium larsenite...

 (fluoresces bright yellow), calcite

Calcite

Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate . The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 380-470°C, and vaterite is even less stable.-Properties:...

 (fluoresces orange-red), franklinite

Franklinite

Franklinite is a mineral with formula ZnFe2O4. It is associated with the Franklin Mine and Sterling Hill Mines in New Jersey.-See also:* Spinel* Classification of minerals* List of minerals-References:*...

 (non-fluorescent) and willemite

Willemite

Willemite is a zinc silicate mineral and a minor ore of zinc. It is highly fluorescent under shortwave ultraviolet light.It occurs in all different colors in daylight, in fibrous masses, solid brown masses , and apple green gemmy masses.It was discovered in 1830 and named after William I of the...

 (fluoresces green).

Clinohedrite was found primarily at the Franklin

Franklin Furnace

Franklin Furnace, also known as the Franklin Mine, is a famous mineral location for rare zinc, iron, manganese minerals in old mines in Franklin, New Jersey, USA. This locale produced more species of minerals and more different fluorescent minerals than any other location...

 zinc mines in New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, the type locality, but has also been reported from the Christmas mine, Gila County, Arizona

Gila County, Arizona

-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*76.8% White*0.4% Black*14.8% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.0% Two or more races*5.4% Other races*17.9% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, and the Western Quinling gold belt, Gansu Province, China.

It was first described in 1898 and was named for its crystal morphology from the Greek klino for incline, and hedra for face.