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Formula: TeO2
Simple oxide of tellurium, orthorhombic
paramorph of tetragonal
paratellurite
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 5.88 to 5.92 measured, 5.75 calculated
Hardness: 2
Streak: White
Colour: White to yellow, bright yellow to orange-yellow; nearly colourless in transmitted light
Solubility: Very slightly soluble in water (Mindat)
Environments
Tellurite is a secondary mineral resulting from the
oxidation of
tellurium and tellurides in the oxide zone of some
hydrothermal mineral deposits. Associated minerals include tellurium,
tetradymite, nagyágite and many
secondary tellurates
(HOM, Webmin).
Localities
At Gold Hill, Yukon Territory, Canada, tellurite occurs with native gold,
sylvanite, hessite and sulphides
(R&M 96.3.221).
The type locality is Faţa Băii, Zlatna, Alba, Romania.
Tellurite from Faţa Băii - Image
At the Tintic Mineral District, Utah, USA, Nicely formed, bright yellow tellurite crystals have been found at
the Trixie, Centennial Eureka and North Star mines, associated with
telluride minerals of which tellurite is an alteration product.
The crystals range from less than 1 mm to several millimeters in size, and from transparent to opaque; most commonly
they occur on a quartz matrix. A very nice phantom of an opaque
tellurite crystal embedded in a transparent yellow tellurite crystal was found at the North Star mine,
associated with other tellurides and sulphides
(MinRec 55.2.225).
Tellurite from Tintic - Image
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