What is "corkite"

n. (context mineral English) A trigonal-ditrigonal pyramidal mineral containing hydrogen, iron, lead, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur.

Corkite is a phosphate mineral in the beudantite subgroup of the alunite group. Corkite is the phosphate analogue of beudantite and with it, a complete solid solution range exists. Corkite will also form a solid solution with kintoreite.

Corkite is named after County Cork, Ireland; the location where the first notable amount was discovered in 1869. Like many of the other minerals in the beudantite group, corkite is a relatively uncommon, secondary mineral that occurs in oxidation zones near hydrothermal base metal deposits. It occurs associated with pyromorphite, malachite, plumbojarosite, limonite and quartz.