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Formula: Ca3Te6+2(ZnO4)3
Oxide, ungrouped member of the garnet supergroup,
tellurium-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Isometric
Specific gravity: 5.40 to 5.55 measured, 5.441 calculated
Hardness: 5½
Colour: Light to dark brown, colourless
Solubility: Dissolved by acids, not reactive with KOH or FeCl2
Environments
Sedimentary environments
Hydrothermal environments
Localities
At the type locality, the Kuranakh ore field, Aldan, Sakha, Russia, yafsoanite is very rare in the
tellurium-bearing gold -
quartz deposit in
dolomite–calcite. Associated
minerals include gold, tiemannite,
naumannite, clausthalite,
altaite, cinnabar,
orpiment, kuranakhite, Si-rich
dugganite, cheremnykhite,
kuksite, descloizite,
calcite, quartz and iron oxides
(HOM).
At the Empire Mine, Tombstone Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, USA, yafsoanite occurs in the oxidised
zone of a hydrothermal ore deposit
(HOM).
Yafsoanite from the Empire Mine - Image
At the Upper dumps, North Star Mine, Mammoth, Tintic Mining District, Juab County, Utah, USA, yafsoanite occurs
with utahite and xocolatlite in a
vug in quartz, as transparent spheres composed of several crystals. The spheres
are about 0.1 mm in diameter
(MinRec 55.2.232).
Yafsoanite from the Upper Dumps - Image
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