Tellurite
This article is about the mineral. For the similarly named Star Trek race, see Tellarite. For the tellurium anion, see tellurite (ion).
| Tellurite | |
|---|---|
|
Tellurite from the Moctezuma Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico | |
| General | |
| Category | Oxide minerals |
| Formula (repeating unit) | TeO2 |
| Strunz classification | 04.DE.20 |
| Crystal symmetry |
Orthorhombic dipyramidal H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space group: P bca |
| Unit cell | a = 5.6 Å, b = 12.03 Å, c = 5.46 Å; Z=8 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Yellow to white |
| Crystal habit | Flattened prismatic to acicular crystals, radiating groups; powdery, massive |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
| Cleavage | Perfect on {010} |
| Tenacity | Flexible |
| Mohs scale hardness | 2 |
| Luster | Sub-adamantine |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent to opaque |
| Specific gravity | 5.88 - 5.92 |
| Optical properties | Biaxial (-) |
| Refractive index | nα = 2.000 nβ = 2.180 nγ = 2.350 |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.350 |
| Solubility | Sleight in water |
| References | [1][2][3] |
Tellurite is a rare oxide mineral composed of tellurium dioxide (TeO2).
It occurs as prismatic to acicular transparent yellow to white orthorhombic crystals. It occurs in the oxidation zone of mineral deposits in association with native tellurium, emmonsite and other tellurium minerals. Its name comes from Tellus, which is the Latin name for the planet Earth.[2][3]
It was first described in 1842 for an occurrence in Faţa Băii, Zlatna, Alba County, Romania.[3]