Rodalquilarite Explained

Rodalquilarite
Category:Tellurite mineral
Formula:H3Fe3+2(Te4+O3)4Cl
Imasymbol:Raq[1]
Strunz:4.JL.05
System:Triclinic
Class:Pinacoidal
(same H-M symbol)
Symmetry:P
Unit Cell:a = 8.95 Å, b = 5.09 Å
c = 6.63 Å; α = 103.17°
β = 107.08°, γ = 77.87°; Z = 1
Color:Emerald- to grass-green
Habit:Crusts of stout crystals
Cleavage:One good cleavage plane
Tenacity:Very brittle
Mohs:2 - 3
Luster:Greasy
Streak:Greenish yellow
Diaphaneity:Semitransparent
Gravity:4.97 - 5.15
Opticalprop:Biaxial (-)
Refractive:nα = 2.100 nγ = 2.200
Birefringence:δ = 0.100
2V:38°
References:[2] [3] [4]

Rodalquilarite is a rare iron tellurite chloride mineral with formula H3Fe3+2(Te4+O3)4Cl[2] or Fe2(TeO2OH)3(TeO3)Cl.[3] Rodalquilarite crystallizes in the triclinic system and typically occurs as stout green prisms and encrustations.

Discovery and occurrence

Rodalquilarite was first described in 1968 for an occurrence in the Rodalquilar gold deposit of Almeria, Spain and was named for the discovery locality. It has also been reported from the Wendy open pit mine, El Indio-Tambo district, Coquimbo Region of Chile and the mines of Tombstone, Arizona. It is found in the oxidized zone of tellurium-bearing gold deposits. It occurs associated with emmonsite, native gold, alunite, jarosite, quartz, native tellurium, mackayite and sonoraite.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Warr. L.N.. 2021. IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine. 85. 3 . 291–320. 10.1180/mgm.2021.43 . 2021MinM...85..291W . 235729616 . free.
  2. http://rruff.info/doclib/hom/rodalquilarite.pdf Rodalquilarite in the Handbook of Mineralogy
  3. http://www.mindat.org/min-3435.html Rodalquilarite on Mindat.org
  4. http://www.webmineral.com/data/Rodalquilarite.shtml#.Us60JNLjVVY Rodalquilarite data on Webmineral