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Formula: V2O3
Simple oxide of vanadium,
hematite group
Crystal System: Trigonal
Specific gravity: 4.95 calculated
Hardness: 8 to 9
Streak: Black
Colour: Black
Common impurities: Fe,Cr
Environments
Metamorphic environments
Hydrothermal environments
Localities
At Shanglin County, Nanning, Guangxi, China, karelianite occurs in
vanadiferous pyrobitumen
(anthraxolite), associated with millerite,
violarite and montroseite
(HOM).
At the type locality, the Outokumpu mining district, North Karelia, Finland, karelianite occurs in
sulphide-rich portions of glacial boulders derived from high-grade metamorphic rocks, as
schists and quartzites.
Associated minerals include pyrrhotite,
chalcopyrite, pyrite,
tremolite, graphite,
titanite and quartz
(HOM).
At the Mounana Mine, Mounana, Léboumbi-Leyou Department, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon, karelianite occurs in
primary unoxidised
uranium-vanadium ores. Associated
minerals include corvusite,
montroseite, uraninite and
quartz
(HOM).
At Buca della Vena Mine, Pontestazzemese, Stazzema, Lucca Province, Tuscany, Italy, karelianite is found
associated with dessauite in alpine hydrothermal veins developed in a
hematite–baryte ore within
dolostone
(CM 46.5.1183-1194).
At Ol'khonskiye Vorota Strait, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, there is a continuous solid solution series between the two
end-members eskolaite and karelianite. Members of that series in
association with schreyerite,
olkhonskite and rutile are
reported in the graphite-bearing
sillimanite quartzite
schists
(CM 46.5.1183-1194).
At the Merelani Hills, Lelatema Mountains, Simanjiro District, Manyara Region, Tanzania, grains of karelianite
are found at the contact with pyrrhotite as a discontinuous rim up to
700 mm wide, or as an infilling phase in corroded zones of the pyrrhotite.
The crystals are free of inclusions but are in some cases partly intergrown with
vanadian phlogopite.
Compositions are very close to the karelianite end-member of the solid solution
(CM 46.5.1183-1194).
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