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Formula: (Pb,Ca)3(Cu,Sb)3Te6O18Cl
Tellurite, antimony-bearing
mineral
Crystal System: Isometric
Specific gravity: 6.4 measured, 6.41 calculated
Hardness: 3
Streak: Pale green
Colour: Forest green
Solubility: Soluble in cold dilute nitric or hydrochloric acid
Environments
Volcanic igneous environments
Hydrothermal environments
Choloalite occurs with other tellurites and
tellurates in the oxidised portions of base and precious metal deposits.
(HOM).
Localities
At the type locality, the Bambollita mine, Moctezuma, Moctezuma Municipality, Sonora, Mexico, choloalite
occurs as green octahedral crystals to 2 mm in size in a tellurium
deposit in intensely sericitised
rhyolite
vitrophyre
(Mindat).
Choloalite from the Bambollita Mine -
Image
At the Joe & Grand Central shafts area dump, Tombstone Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, USA,
choloalite occurs with cerussite,
emmonsite and
rodalquilarite in severely
brecciated shale that
has been replaced by opal and granular
jarosite
(AM 66.1099-1103).
Choloalite from the Joe & Grand Central shafts
area dump - Image
At the mine dump, Delamar Mine, Delamar Mining District, Lincoln County, Nevada, USA,
matthiasweilite was found as a
secondary mineral, associated with
adanite, choloalite,
northstarite, and other oxysalts in a
quartz-rich matrix, that developed in an altered
primary ore along with
altaite,
tetrahedrite-(Zn),
native gold, and other sulphides and
selenides
(CM) 60.5.805–814).
At the Tintic Mining District, Juab County, Utah, USA, choloalite is extremely rare. Analysed specimens are
known from the North Star mine. A single green octahedral crystal that is about 200 microns in size was found on
the upper dumps, with goldfieldite and
pyrite, and another specimen had emerald-green octahedral choloalite
crystals on quartz
(MinRec 55.2.192-193).
Choloalite from the Tintic Mining District -
Image
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