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Formula: Pb2(Fe3+Te6+)(AlSi3O8)O6
Unclassified silicate, tellurium-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Trigonal
Specific gravity: 4.96 calculated
Hardness: 2
Streak: Pale red
Colour: Carmine-red to violet-red, pink, brown
Solubility: Insoluble in hot dilute or concentrated HCl.
Magnetism: Paramagnetic
Environments
Sedimentary environments
Hydrothermal environments
Localities
At the type locality, the Moctezuma mine, Moctezuma, Moctezuma Municipality, Sonora, Mexico, burckhardtite is
relatively common on the third level, where it occurs in extremely thin disseminations on angular fragments of light
grey cryptocrystalline quartz in a
breccia loosely cemented by
dickite. Associated minerals are
moctezumite and less commonly
zemannite and baryte.
Burckhardtite forms minute rosettes of carminered crystals about 0.l mm in size. The rosettes are tightly
attached to the quartz, and can be removed only by scraping, which tends to
break up the crystals.
On the second level of the mine some burckhardtite was found in small open fractures, associated with
dickite, zemannite,
moctezumite and tellurite. Here
the burckhardtite formed larger rosettes, up to 0.3 mm, with occasional single crystals 50 microns across.
Most of the crystalline rosettes have centres of dickite, suggesting an
oriented overgrowth
(AM 64.355-358).
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