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Schmitterite

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Big Photo

Moctezuma Mine (Bambolla Mine), Moctezuma, Mun. de Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico
© Stephan Wolfsried

Show Schmitterite Photos (12)



Formula:
(UO
 
2
)(TeO
 
3
)
System:OrthorhombicColour:Colourless to pale yellow
Hardness:1
Name:Named after Eduardo Schmitter Villada, Professor of Mineralogy and Petrology, Mexico City.


Structurally related to Moctezumite.

Classification of Schmitterite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:4/K.03-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:4.JK.70

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
J : Arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites; iodates
K : Tellurites without additional anions, without H2O
Dana 7th edition ID:34.1.7.1
Dana 8th edition ID:34.1.6.1

34 : SELENITES, TELLURITES AND SULFITES
1 : A(XO3)
Hey's CIM Ref.:28.3.19

28 : Selenites, Selenates, Tellurites, and Tellurates
3 : Tellurites
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Type Occurrence of Schmitterite

Type Locality:Moctezuma Mine (Bambolla Mine), Moctezuma, Mun. de Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico
Year of Discovery:1971

Physical Properties of Schmitterite

Lustre:Pearly
Colour:Colourless to pale yellow
Hardness (Mohs):1

Crystallography of Schmitterite

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Cell Parameters:a = 7.86Å, b = 10.08Å, c = 5.36Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.78 : 1 : 0.532
Unit Cell Volume:V 424.67 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Chemical Properties of Schmitterite

Formula:
(UO
 
2
)(TeO
 
3
)
Essential elements:O, Te, U
All elements listed in formula:O, Te, U

Relationship of Schmitterite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
4.JK.05Winstanleyite
TiTe
4+
3
O
 
8
4.JK.05Walfordite
(Fe
3+
 
,Te
6+
 
)Te
4+
3
O
 
8
4.JK.10Spiroffite
(Mn,Zn)
 
2
Te
4+
3
O
 
8
4.JK.10Zincospiroffite
Zn
 
2
Te
4+
3
O
 
8
4.JK.15Balyakinite
Cu(TeO
 
3
)
4.JK.20Rajite
Cu(Te
4+
2
O
 
5
)
4.JK.25Carlfriesite
CaTe
4+
2
Te
6+
 
O
 
8
4.JK.30Denningite
(Mn
2+
 
,Ca,Zn)Te
4+
2
O
 
5
4.JK.35Chekhovichite
Bi
 
2
Te
4+
4
O
 
11
4.JK.40Smirnite
Bi
 
2
Te
4+
 
O
 
5
4.JK.45Choloalite
(Cu,Sb)
 
3
(Pb,Ca)
 
3
(TeO
 
3
)
 
6
Cl
4.JK.50Fairbankite
Pb(TeO
 
3
)
4.JK.55Plumbotellurite
Pb(TeO
 
3
)
4.JK.60Magnolite
(Hg
+
2
)(Te
4+
 
O
 
3
)
4.JK.65Moctezumite
Pb(UO
 
2
)(TeO
 
3
)
 
2
4.JK.75Cliffordite
(UO
 
2
)Te
4+
3
O
 
7
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
28.3.1Balyakinite
Cu(TeO
 
3
)
28.3.2Rajite
Cu(Te
4+
2
O
 
5
)
28.3.3Graemite
Cu[TeO
 
3
] · H
 
2
O
28.3.4Teineite
Cu[TeO
 
3
] · 2H
 
2
O
28.3.5Cesbronite
Cu
 
5
(TeO
 
3
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
 · 2H
 
2
O
28.3.6Mroseite
CaTe
4+
 
(CO
 
3
)O
 
2
28.3.7Quetzalcoatlite
Zn
 
6
Cu
 
3
(TeO
 
6
)
 
2
(OH)
 
6
 · Ag
 
x
Pb
 
y
Cl
 
x+2y
28.3.8Zemannite
Mg(ZnFe)
 
2
(TeO
 
3
)
 
6
·9H
 
2
O
28.3.9Kinichilite
(Fe,Mg,Zn)
 
2
(TeO
 
3
)
 
3
(Na
 
x
H
 
2-x
) · 3H
 
2
O
28.3.10Denningite
(Mn
2+
 
,Ca,Zn)Te
4+
2
O
 
5
28.3.11Spiroffite
(Mn,Zn)
 
2
Te
4+
3
O
 
8
28.3.12Winstanleyite
TiTe
4+
3
O
 
8
28.3.13Fairbankite
Pb(TeO
 
3
)
28.3.14Plumbotellurite
Pb(TeO
 
3
)
28.3.15Choloalite
(Cu,Sb)
 
3
(Pb,Ca)
 
3
(TeO
 
3
)
 
6
Cl
28.3.16Smirnite
Bi
 
2
Te
4+
 
O
 
5
28.3.17Chekhovichite
Bi
 
2
Te
4+
4
O
 
11
28.3.18Cliffordite
(UO
 
2
)Te
4+
3
O
 
7
28.3.20Moctezumite
Pb(UO
 
2
)(TeO
 
3
)
 
2
28.3.21Emmonsite
Fe
3+
2
[TeO
 
3
]
 
3
 · 2H
 
2
O
28.3.22Blakeite
Fe
3+
2
[TeO
 
3
]
 
3
 (?)
28.3.23Mackayite
Fe
3+
 
(Te
4+
2
O
 
5
)(OH)
28.3.24Poughite
Fe
3+
2
(TeO
 
3
)
 
2
(SO
 
4
)(H
 
2
O)
 
2
 · H
 
2
O
28.3.25Sonoraite
Fe
3+
 
(TeO
 
3
)(OH) · H
 
2
O
28.3.26Rodalquilarite
Fe
 
2
(TeO
 
2
OH)
 
3
(TeO
 
3
)Cl
28.3.27Eztlite
Pb
 
2
Fe
3+
6
(Te
4+
 
O
 
3
)
 
3
(Te
6+
 
O
 
6
)(OH)
 
10
 · 8H
 
2
O
28.3.28Keystoneite
(Ni,Mg,Fe,Mn)
 
3
Te
 
3
O
 
9
 · 5H
 
2
O

Other Names for Schmitterite

Synonyms:
IMA1967-045
Other Languages:
German:Schmitterit
Russian:Шмиттерит
Spanish:Schmitterita

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 Schmitterite

Reference List:

- +
American Mineralogist (1971): 56: 411-415.

Meunier, G., and Galy, J. (1973): Structure cristalline de la schmitterite
synthétique UTeO5. Acta Crystallographica B29, 125l-1255.

Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie (1976): 99: 334.

Swihart, G.H., Gupta, P.K.S., Schlemper, E.O., Back, M.E., and Gaines, R.V. (1993): The crystal structure of moctezumite [PbUO2](TeO3)2. American Mineralogist 78, 835-839.

Burns, P.C. (2005): U 6+ minerals and inorganic compounds: insights into an expanded structural hierarchy of crystal structures. Canadian Mineralogist: 43: 1839-1894.

Internet Links for Schmitterite

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    • Localities for Schmitterite

    The map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.
    Hide Locality List
    (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.
    Czech Republic
     
    • Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen)
      • Ústí Region
        • Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge)
          • Dubí
    		Pauliš P., Kopecký S., Černý P. 2007: Uranové minerály České Republiky a jejich naleziště. 1. část. (Kutna Hora, issue 1)]
    Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaïre)
     
    • Katanga (Shaba)
      • Katanga Copper Crescent
        • Shinkolobwe
    Mexico
     
    • Sonora
      • Mun. de Moctezuma
    Lapis 2001(1), 11-40
    Amer.Min.(1971) 56, 411-415
    Lapis 2001(1), 11-40
    Brent Thorne
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