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Formula: Pb6(Te2O10)(CO3)Cl2(H2O)
Tellurate
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 6.790 calculated
Hardness: 2
Streak: Pale yellow
Colour: Lemon-yellow, yellow-orange
Luminescence: Not fluorescent under UV
Solubility: Turns opaque and dissolves slowly in hydrochloric acid
Environments
Thorneite was approved in 2009 but to date (September 2024) it has been reported only from the Otto Mountain.
Localities
At the type locality, Bird Nest drift, Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San
Bernardino County, California, USA, thorneite occurs as a
secondary phase on fracture surfaces and in small vugs in
quartz veins. It is formed from the partial oxidation of
primary sulphides, such as
galena, and tellurides, such as
hessite, during or following
brecciation of the quartz
veins. Thorneite is directly associated with acanthite,
cerussite, gold,
hessite, iodargyrite,
khinite, wulfenite,
housleyite, markcooperite
and ottoite.
Various other secondary minerals occur in the veins,
including three other new (in 2009) secondary
tellurium minerals:
paratimroseite,
telluroperite and
timroseite.
Thorneite crystals are prismatic to bladed with elongation and striations parallel to the c-axis, and
typically occur in parallel and random aggregates. It is yellow and transparent, with pale yellow streak and
adamantine lustre
(AM 95.10.1548-1553, HOM).
Thorneite from Bird Nest Drift - Image
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