Tokyoite

tokyoite

braunite

hyalophane

tamaite

Images

Formula: Ba2Mn3+(VO4)2OH
Vanadate, barium- and manganese- bearing mineral, brackebuschite supergroup
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 4.62 calculated
Hardness: 4½ to 5
Streak: Deep brownish red
Colour: Red-black
Environments

Metamorphic environments
Hydrothermal environments

Localities

At the type locality, the Shiromaru mine, Okutama-cho, Nishitama district, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan, tokyoite occurs as small aggregates (250 µm) of irregular grains less than 15 µm in size. It is red-black, translucent, and has a vitreous lustre and a dark brownish red streak. Tokyoite was found in an outcrop of an abandoned manganese ore deposit that occurs in chert blocks enclosed in sandstone.
Tokyoite occurs in brecciated braunite or in veinlets associated with hyalophane or tamaite (AM 91.1468).

At the Postmasburg area, Tsantsabane Local Municipality, ZF Mgcawu District Municipality, Northern Cape, South Africa, samples of manganese-rich rock containing two compositional varieties of tokyoite in association with noélbensonite were retrieved from a drill core. The samples consist of fine-grained braunite, hematite and hausmannite. Within this material abundant vugs are observed that are filled with witherite, baryte and barytocalcite. In addition, arsenic-rich tokyoite, tokyoite and noélbensonite occur in the centre of the vugs, in fine aggregates 0.1 to 1 mm in size. Individual arsenic-rich tokyoite grains are typically 20 to 200 microns in size. The outer walls of the vugs are lined with microcrystalline K-feldspar, witherite and/or sérandite. Textural evidence of the barium-rich mineral phases in association with arsenic-rich tokyoite suggest an epigenetic mode of formation of the observed assemblages, caused by vanadium- and arsenic- bearing alkali-rich fluids interacting with pre-existing manganese-rich minerals (CM 53.6.981-990).

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