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Formula: TeO2
Simple oxide, rutile group, tetragonal
paramorph of orthorhombic
tellurite, commonly
forms pseudomorphs after
tellurite
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 5.60 measured, 6.017 calculated
Hardness: 1
Streak: White
Colour: Greyish white, pale yellow, creamy yellow
Environments
Localities
There are two co-type localities, the Santa Rosa mine, Cananea, Cananea Municipality, and the Moctezuma mine,
Moctezuma, Moctezuma Municipality, both at Sonora, Mexico. Here paratellurite occurs as a black oxidation
rind around masses
of native tellurium; the black colour is due to finely included
tellurium. Paratellurite also occurs as waxy honey-coloured
coatings on fractures in native tellurium, and as
pseudomorphs after later
tellurite at some distance from the
tellurium masses
(Dana, AM 45.1272-1274).
At the Moctezuma mine paratellurite occurs very sparingly in thin seams in
native tellurium as an alteration product of
tellurium and tellurite. The
very fine-grained material is white to greyish white or yellow with a resinous to waxy lustre, and is massive or in
crystal aggregates. Crystal habits range from radial spheres to equant to bladed and intergrown by twinning. In
some cases, it forms pseudomorphs after well-defined
tellurite crystals; the latter are transparent when unaltered but become
dull and milky, with cracked surfaces, when partially or completely converted to paratellurite. Other
paratellurite crystals are a pale straw yellow to nearly black. Associations include
quartz and (rarely) mackayite
and denningite
(Minrec 55.6.845)
Paratellurite from the Moctezuma Mine -
Image
At the Joe mine, Cochise County, Arizona, USA, paratellurite is associated with
krennerite, tellurium,
rodalquilarite, emmonsite
and anglesite
(HOM).
At the Tintic Mining District, Utah, USA, paratellurite, a very rare mineral in the district, occurs as 1 mm sized,
cream-coloured, opaque crystals at the Trixie mine, together with tiny crystals of an unidentified
tellurium mineral. It is also reported to occur at the North Star mine,
known in just a few specimens
(MinRec 55.2.216-217)
Paratellurite from Tintic - Image
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