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Formula: Bi2O(AsO4)(OH)
Anhydrous arsenate of bismuth,
with hydroxyl
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 7.14 measured, 6.95 calculated
Hardness: 4½ to 5
Colour: Sulphur-yellow to yellowish-green or wax-yellow, yellow-brown; light yellow to colourless in transmitted light
Solubility: Readily soluble in hydrochloric acid; soluble with difficulty in nitric acid
Environments
Atelestite is a rare secondary mineral that occurs in the
oxidised zone of bismuth- and
arsenic-
bearing mineral deposits,
associated with bismutite,
eulytine,
erythrite,
bismutostibiconite,
beyerite,
preisingerite, walpurgite,
mixite,
conichalcite, torbernite and
quartz
(HOM, Webmin).
Localities
At Smrkovec, Březová, Sokolov District, Karlovy Vary Region, Czech Republic,
phosphowalpurgite occurs at old mine dumps of an abandoned
ore deposit. Associated minerals include apatite, atelestite,
bismutoferrite, bismutite,
eulytine, hechtsbergite,
metatorbernite, mixite,
petitjeanite,
preisingerite, pucherite,
retgersite, schumacherite,
smrkovecite and walpurgite.
Phosphowalpurgite crystallised during the
supergene alteration of
primary bismuth and
uraninite in hydrothermal quartz
veins
(CM 42.963-972)
At the type locality, the Neuhilfe Mine, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany, atelestite is associated with
quartz and bismutite
(Mindat).
At the Opohonga stope, Gold Chain Mine, Mammoth, Tintic Mining District, Juab County, Utah, USA,
dagenaisite has been found associated with
cinnabar, dugganite,
eurekadumpite and gold in vugs in
a matrix composed of quartz and
dolomite. Other minerals identified in the general assemblage include
adamite, arseniosiderite,
atelestite, baryte,
beudantite, conichalcite,
hemimorphite, kettnerite,
malachite, mimetite,
mixite, olivenite and
rosasite
(CM 55.867-873).
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