Calomel from Nikitovka

Abstract

A.E. Kupfer brought from a well-known mercury deposit pieces of light burnt (and therefore reddened) sandstone, covered with thin crystalline crusts. The crystals are thin-columnar, completely colorless, with a diamond luster and in general look very similar to calomel. However, the on-site analysis, having stated the presence of chlorine and mercury, gave an insufficient amount of chlorine, which is why it was assumed that these were not calomel, but crystals of some other mercury chloride. In these cases, the decisive methods are the usual methods of crystal-chemical analysis reduced to measuring the crystals and their correct installation