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Formula: Bi2Te3
Telluride,
tetradymite group
Crystal System: Trigonal
Specific gravity: 7.815 measured, 7.857 calculated
Hardness: 1½ to 2
Streak: Pale lead-grey
Colour: Lead-grey
Common impurities: S
Environments
Tellurobismuthite typically forms in hydrothermal
gold-quartz veins of low sulphur content. Associated
minerals include gold, bismuth,
gold tellurides, tetradymite,
altaite, chalcopyrite and
pyrrhotite
(HOM).
Localities
There are three co-type localities:
Mosnap mine, Moisesberg mines, Fyresdal, Vestfold og Telemark, Norway
Boly Field Mine, Dahlonega, Lumpkin county, Georgia, USA
Little Mildred mine, Sylvanite District, Hidalgo county, New Mexico, USA
At Tennant Creek, Barkly Region, Northern Territory, Australia, tellurobismuthite occurs with
pekoite and junoite in massive
magnetite
(R&M 96.3.209).
At the Yuniman gold mine, near Hedley, Osoyoos Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada,
tellurobismuthite occurs with arsenopyrite and native
gold
(R&M 96.3.209).
At the Sue-Dianne deposit, Diane Lake, Mazenod Lake District, Northwest Territories, Canada, tellurobismuthite has
coprecipitated with about 50% pitchblende and is associated with some primary
hematite. It forms grains generally less than 20 pm in diameter, and it is also found as
interstitial blebs, up to 100pm in diameter, between grains of secondary
hematite. There are trace amounts of chalcopyrite,
bornite and, rarely, covellite, but these are not
closely associated with the tellurobismuthite
(CM 19.341-348 ).
At the McIntyre Mine (Pamour Mine), Timmins, Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada, good
gold-tellurobismuthite specimens have been found with
talc in white quartz
(R&M 96.3.209).
At the Louvicourt Goldfield Mine, Val d'Or, La Vallée-de-l'Or RCM, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Québec, Canada, tellurobismuthite
is associated with gold, calaverite and
calcite
(R&M 96.3.209).
At the Yangzhaiyu Au-Pb-Te deposit, Qinling mine, Lingbao City, Sanmenxia, Henan, China, tellurobismuthite often occurs as
lath-shaped crystals. Associated minerals include gold,
calaverite, petzite,
hessite, tetradymite and
volynskite. Although both tellurobismuthite and
rucklidgeite occur in assemblages containing
calaverite, gold,
petzite and chalcopyrite, the two telluride
minerals have not been observed together
(CM 45.665-708).
At Bohuliby, Jílové u Prahy, Prague-West District, Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic, tellurobismuthite occurs with
gold
(R&M 96.3.209).
At the Björkdal Mine, Sandfors, Skellefte mining district, Skellefteå, Västerbotten County, Sweden, tellurobismuthite has been
found with gold
(R&M 96.3.209).
At the Lone Jack Mine, Twin Lakes, Mount Baker Mining District, Whatcom county, Washington, USA,
tellurobismuthite occurs with gold
(R&M 96.3.209).
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