Housleyite

housleyite

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Formula: Pb6CuTe4O18(OH)2
Tellurate
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 7.845 calculated
Hardness: 3
Streak: Pale blue
Colour: Pale to medium greenish blue
Luminescence: Not fluorescent under UV
Environments

Hydrothermal environments

Housleyite is a secondary phase on fracture surfaces and in small vugs in quartz veins. It is formed from the partial oxidation of primary sulphides, such as galena, and tellurides, such as hessite, during or following brecciation of the quartz veins (HOM).

Localities

There are two co-type localities, the Aga Mineand Bird Nest drift, both at Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino county, California, USA. Housleyite occurs here on fracture surfaces and in small vugs in brecciated quartz veins. It is directly associated with acanthite, cerussite, gold, iodargyrite, khinite-4O, wulfenite and three other new tellurates: markcooperite, ottoite and thorneite. A variety of other secondary minerals occurs in the veins, including three other new secondary tellurium minerals, paratimroseite, telluroperite and timroseite.
Housleyite crystals are prismatic to bladed and typically occur in bow tie-like aggregates, drusy balls and irregular sprays. It is pale to medium greenish blue and transparent, with pale blue streak and adamantine lustre (AM 95.1337-1342).

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