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Formula: Cu2+3Te6+O6.2H2O
Tellurate
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 4.76 calculated
Hardness: 3 to 4
Streak: Emerald-green
Colour: Emerald-green
Environments
Sedimentary environments
Hydrothermal environments
Localities
The type locality, the Centennial Eureka Mine, Eureka, Tintic Mining District, Juab County, Utah, USA, was a
copper, gold and
silver property, worked primarily from 1876 to 1927. The immense mine
dumps were largely removed and processed for their lowgrade concentrations of
gold in late 1991, exposing a wide variety of mineralised samples,
including several boulders that contain copper- and
tellurium- bearing assemblages. Jensenite was observed in
several of these boulders, but must be considered very rare, as only about 10 mg of the mineral was known at
the time of writing (1996).
On the holotype material, jensenite was found as isolated crystals or groups of crystals that are
perched on drusy white to colourless quartz. Associated minerals
include thin lime-green stains and dark green-black microspherules of
mcalpineite and green nodules of
xocomecatlite. Additional
copper- and tellurium-
bearing secondary minerals that have been identified
on similar specimens include cesbronite,
frankhawthorneite,
dugganite and
quetzalcoatlite
Jensenite is a secondary mineral that formed
from the breakdown of primary
copper- and tellurium-
bearing sulphides
(CM 34.49-54).
Jensenite from the Centennial Eureka Mine -
Image
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