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Formula: Pb(Te0.5Pb0.5)O2Cl
Chloride, tellurium-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 7.323 calculated for the empirical formula
Hardness: 2 to 3
Streak: Pale bluish green
Colour: Bluish green
Luminescence: No fluorescence under UV
Solubility: In dilute hydrochloric acid, telluroperite immediately decomposes, turning white and opaque, and
then dissolves slowly
Environments
Localities
At the type locality, the Bird Nest drift, Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District,
San Bernardino County, California, USA, telluroperite is very rare and occurs mostly on fracture surfaces
and in small vugs in quartz veins. Species observed in direct association
include acanthite, bromine-rich
chlorargyrite, caledonite,
cerussite, galena,
goethite and linarite. Other
species identified in the Otto Mountain include anglesite,
atacamite, boleite,
brochantite,
burckhardtite, calcite,
celestine, chalcopyrite,
chrysocolla, devilline,
diaboleite, fluorite,
fornacite, gold,
hessite, iodargyrite,
jarosite, khinite-4O,
kuranakhite, malachite,
mimetite, mottramite,
munakataite, murdochite,
muscovite, perite,
phosphohedyphane,
plumbojarosite, pyrite,
schieffelinite,
vanadinite, vauquelinite,
wulfenite, and six other new (in 2010) minerals:
housleyite, markcooperite,
ottoite, paratimroseite,
thorneite and timroseite.
Telluroperite and most the other secondary minerals
of the quartz veins are interpreted as having formed from the partial
oxidation of primary sulphides, such as
galena, and tellurides, such as
hessite, during or following
brecciation of the quartz
veins. The Cl may be sourced in part from primary phases, but
it is most likely from salty brines interacting with primary
tellurides. Natural telluroperite almost certainly crystallised at
ambient temperatures.
Telluroperite commonly occurs as thin somewhat rounded square plates and flakes up to 0.25 mm on edge and
0.02 mm thick
(AM 95.1569-1573).
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