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Columbite-(Mg)

Big Photo

Muzeinaya pegmatite vein, Kukh-i-Lal gem spinel Deposit (Kukhilal gem spinel Deposit), Pyandzh River Valley, Pamir Mts, Viloyati Mukhtori Gorno-Badakhshan (Viloyati Badakhshoni Kuni), Tajikistan
© Pavel M. Kartashov

Show Columbite-(Mg) Photos (3)
Formula:
(Mg,Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
6
System:OrthorhombicColour:Black
Lustre:Sub-MetallicHardness:6½
This page provides mineralogical data about Columbite-(Mg).

Classification of Columbite-(Mg)

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:4/D.18-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:4.DB.35

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
D : Metal: Oxygen = 1:2 and similar
B : With medium-sized cations; chains of edge-sharing octahedra
Dana 8th edition ID:8.3.2.5

8 : MULTIPLE OXIDES CONTAINING NIOBIUM,TANTALUM OR TITANIUM
3 : AB2O6
Hey's CIM Ref.:18.1.48

18 : Niobates and Tantalates
1 : Niobates and tantalates containing neither rare earths nor U
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Type Occurrence of Columbite-(Mg)

Type Locality:Muzeinaya pegmatite vein, Kukh-i-Lal gem spinel Deposit (Kukhilal gem spinel Deposit), Pyandzh River Valley, Pamir Mts, Viloyati Mukhtori Gorno-Badakhshan (Viloyati Badakhshoni Kuni), Tajikistan
Year of Discovery:1963

Physical Properties of Columbite-(Mg)

Lustre:Sub-Metallic
Colour:Black
Hardness (Mohs):6½

Crystallography of Columbite-(Mg)

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Cell Parameters:a = 5.7Å, b = 14.19Å, c = 5.03Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.402 : 1 : 0.354
Unit Cell Volume:V 406.84 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Optical Data of Columbite-(Mg)

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 2.330 - 2.360 nγ = 2.390 - 2.440
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.060 - 0.080

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Moderate
Dispersion:none

Chemical Properties of Columbite-(Mg)

Formula:
(Mg,Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
6
Essential elements:Mg, Nb, O
All elements listed in formula:Fe, Mg, Mn, Nb, O, Ta

Relationship of Columbite-(Mg) to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
4.DB.05Argutite
GeO
 
2
4.DB.05Cassiterite
SnO
 
2
4.DB.05Plattnerite
PbO
 
2
4.DB.05Pyrolusite
MnO
 
2
4.DB.05Rutile
TiO
 
2
4.DB.05Tripuhyite
Fe
3+
 
Sb
5+
 
O
 
4
4.DB.05Tugarinovite
MoO
 
2
4.DB.05Varlamoffite
(Sn,Fe)(O,OH)
 
2
4.DB.10Byströmite
MgSb
 
2
O
 
6
4.DB.10Tapiolite-(Fe)
(Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
4.DB.10Tapiolite-(Mn)
(Mn,Fe)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
4.DB.10Ordoñezite
ZnSb
 
2
O
 
6
4.DB.15Akhtenskite
ε-Mn
4+
 
O
 
2
4.DB.15Nsutite
(Mn
4+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)(O,OH)
 
2
4.DB.15Paramontroseite
VO
 
2
4.DB.15Ramsdellite
Mn
4+
 
O
 
2
4.DB.20Scrutinyite
alpha-PbO
 
2
4.DB.25Ishikawaite
U
4+
 
Fe
2+
 
Nb
 
2
O
 
8
4.DB.25Ixiolite
(Ta,Nb,Sn,Fe,Mn)
 
4
O
 
8
4.DB.25Samarskite-(Y)
(Y,Fe
3+
 
,Fe
2+
 
,U,Th,Ca)
 
2
(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
8
4.DB.25Srilankite
Ti
 
2
ZrO
 
6
4.DB.25Yttrocolumbite-(Y)
Y(U
4+
 
,Fe
2+
 
)Nb
 
2
O
 
8
4.DB.25Calciosamarskite
(Ca,Fe
3+
 
,Y)
 
2
(Nb,Ta,Ti)
 
2
O
 
8
4.DB.25Iwashiroite-(Y)
Y(Ta,Nb)O
 
4
4.DB.25Samarskite-(Yb)
(Yb,Fe
3+
 
)
 
2
(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
8
4.DB.25Písekite-(Y)
4.DB.30Ferberite
FeWO
 
4
4.DB.30Hübnerite
MnWO
 
4
4.DB.30Sanmartinite
(Zn,Fe)WO
 
4
4.DB.30Krasnoselskite
CoWO
 
4
4.DB.35Columbite-(Fe)
FeNb
 
2
O
 
6
4.DB.35Tantalite-(Fe)
FeTa
 
2
O
 
6
4.DB.35Columbite-(Mn)
(Mn,Fe)(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
6
4.DB.35Tantalite-(Mn)
MnTa
 
2
O
 
6
4.DB.35Qitianlingite
(Fe,Mn)
 
2
(Nb,Ta)
 
2
WO
 
10
4.DB.35Magnocolumbite
4.DB.35Tantalite-(Mg)
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
4.DB.40Ferrowodginite
FeSnTa
 
2
O
 
8
4.DB.40Lithiotantite
Li(Ta,Nb)
 
3
O
 
8
4.DB.40Lithiowodginite
LiTa
 
3
O
 
8
4.DB.40Titanowodginite
MnTiTa
 
2
O
 
8
4.DB.40Wodginite
Mn(Sn,Ta)Ta
 
2
O
 
8
4.DB.40Ferrotitanowodginite
Fe
2+
 
TiTa
 
2
O
 
8
4.DB.45Tivanite
VTiO
 
3
(OH)
4.DB.50Carmichaelite
(Ti,Cr,Fe)[O
 
2-x
(OH)
 
x
]
4.DB.55Alumotantite
AlTaO
 
4
4.DB.60Biehlite
((Sb,As)O)
 
2
[MoO
 
4
]
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
18.1.1Lithiotantite
Li(Ta,Nb)
 
3
O
 
8
18.1.2Lueshite
NaNbO
 
3
18.1.3Natroniobite
NaNbO
 
3
18.1.4Franconite
Na
 
2
Nb
 
4
O
 
11
·9H
 
2
O
18.1.5Natrotantite
Na
 
2
Ta
 
4
O
 
11
18.1.6Irtyshite
Na
 
2
(Ta,Nb)
 
4
O
 
11
18.1.7Rankamaite
(Na,K,Pb,Li)
 
3
(Ta,Nb,Al)
 
11
(O,OH)
 
30
18.1.8Kalipyrochlore
(K,Sr)
 
2-x
Nb
 
2
O
 
6
(O,OH)·nH
 
2
O
18.1.9Calciotantite
CaTa
 
4
O
 
11
18.1.10Rynersonite
Ca(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.11Microlite
(Ca,Na)
 
2
Ta
 
2
O
 
6
(O,OH,F)
18.1.12Belyankinite
Ca
 
1-2
(Ti,Zr,Nb)
 
5
O
 
12
 · 9H
 
2
O (?)
18.1.13Latrappite
(Ca,Na)(Nb,Ti,Fe)O
 
3
18.1.14Hochelagaite
(Ca,Na,Sr)(Nb,Ti,Si,Al)
 
4
O
 
11
·8H
 
2
O
18.1.15Bariomicrolite
Ba(Ta,Nb)
 
2
(O,OH)
 
7
18.1.16Parabariomicrolite
BaTa
 
4
O
 
10
(OH)
 
2
·2H
 
2
O
18.1.17Bariopyrochlore
(Ba,Sr)
 
2
(Nb,Ti)
 
2
(O,OH)
 
7
18.1.18Alumotantite
AlTaO
 
4
18.1.19Simpsonite
Al
 
4
(Ta,Nb)
 
3
O
 
13
(OH,F)
18.1.20Sosedkoite
(K,Na)
 
5
Al
 
2
(Ta,Nb)
 
22
O
 
60
18.1.21Thoreaulite
SnTa
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.22Stannomicrolite
(Sn,Fe,Mn)
 
2
(Ta,Nb,Sn)
 
2
(O,OH)
 
7
18.1.23Foordite
(Sn,Pb)(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.24Changbaiite
PbNb
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.25Plumbopyrochlore
(Pb,Y,U,Ca)
 
2-x
Nb
 
2
O
 
6
(OH)
18.1.26Plumbomicrolite
(Pb,Ca,U)
 
2
Ta
 
2
O
 
6
(OH)
18.1.27Stibiocolumbite
Sb(Nb,Ta)O
 
4
18.1.28Stibiotantalite
Sb(Ta,Nb)O
 
4
18.1.29Natrobistantite
(Na,Cs)Bi(Ta,Nb,Sb)
 
4
O
 
12
18.1.30Cesplumtantite
(Cs,Na)
 
2
(Pb,Sb
3+
 
)
 
3
Ta
 
8
O
 
24
18.1.31Stibiomicrolite
(Sb,Ca,Na)
 
2
(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
7
18.1.32Cesstibtantite
(Cs,Na)SbTa
 
4
O
 
12
18.1.33 Stibobetafite
(Ca,Sb)
 
2
(Ti,Nb,Ta)
 
2
(O,OH)
 
7
18.1.34Bismutotantalite
Bi(Ta,Nb)O
 
4
18.1.35Bismutomicrolite
(Bi,Ca)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
(OH)
18.1.36Tantalite-(Mn)
MnTa
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.37Gerasimovskite
(Mn,Ca)(Nb,Ti)
 
5
O
 
12
·9H
 
2
O
18.1.38Tapiolite-(Mn)
(Mn,Fe)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.39Columbite-(Mn)
(Mn,Fe)(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.40Wodginite
Mn(Sn,Ta)Ta
 
2
O
 
8
18.1.41Ixiolite
(Ta,Nb,Sn,Fe,Mn)
 
4
O
 
8
18.1.42Columbite-(Fe)
FeNb
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.43Tantalite-(Fe)
FeTa
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.44Columbite
(Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.45Tantalite
(Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.46Tapiolite
(Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.47Tapiolite-(Fe)
(Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.50Strüverite
(Ti,Ta,Fe)O
 
2
18.1.51 Staringite
(Fe,Mn)
 
x
(Ta,Nb)
 
2x
Sn
 
6-3x
O
 
12

Other Names for Columbite-(Mg)

Synonyms:
MagnesiocolumbiteMagnocolumbite
German names:
MagnesiocolumbitMagnocolumbit
Spanish names:
MagnesiocolumbitaMagnocolumbita

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Columbite-(Mg)

Reference List:American Mineralogist (1963): 48: 1182.

Mineralogical Abstracts (1969): 69: 582.

Internet Links for Columbite-(Mg)

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    Localities for Columbite-(Mg)

    (TL) indicates type locality. ? indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. All other localities listed without reference should be considered as uncertain and unproven until references can be found.
    Madagascar
     
    • Mahajanga (Majunga) Province
      • Betsiboka Region
    		www.excaliburmineral.com
    Tajikistan
     
    • Viloyati Mukhtori Gorno-Badakhshan (Viloyati Badakhshoni Kuni)
      • Pamir Mts
        • Pyandzh River Valley
          • Kukh-i-Lal gem spinel Deposit (Kukhilal gem spinel Deposit)
    		[Nickel & Nichols, 1991 - "Mineral Reference Manual", p126]
    Mineral and/or Locality
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