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Simpsonite

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Big Photo

Alto do Giz pegmatite, Equador, Borborema mineral province, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
© Van King

Show Simpsonite Photos (19)



Formula:
Al
 
4
(Ta,Nb)
 
3
O
 
13
(OH,F)
System:TrigonalColour:Yellow, light brown or ...
Lustre:Adamantine, DullHardness:7 - 7½
Name:
Named in 1938 by Harry Bowley in honor of Edward Sydney Simpson [March 11, 1875 Woollahara, Western Australia, Australia - August 30, 1939 South Perth, Western Australia, Australia], government mineralogist and chemist of the Geological Survey of Western Australia. The Simpson Desert was also named for him.


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Classification of Simpsonite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:4/D.27-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:4.DC.10

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
D : Metal: Oxygen = 1:2 and similar
C : With medium-sized cations; sheets of edge-sharing octahedra
Dana 8th edition ID:8.7.5.1

8 : MULTIPLE OXIDES CONTAINING NIOBIUM,TANTALUM OR TITANIUM
7 : Miscellaneous
Hey's CIM Ref.:18.1.19

18 : Niobates and Tantalates
1 : Niobates and tantalates containing neither rare earths nor U
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Type Occurrence of Simpsonite

Type Locality:Tabba Tabba pegmatite, Wallareenya Station, Port Hedland Shire, Western Australia, Australia
Year of Discovery:1938
Geological Setting of type material:Primary mineral in Ta-rich granite pegmatites

Physical Properties of Simpsonite

Lustre:Adamantine, Dull
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Translucent
Colour:Yellow, light brown or colourless, gray
Streak:white
Hardness (Mohs):7 - 7½
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:None Observed
Density (calculated):6.35 g/cm3

Crystallography of Simpsonite

Crystal System:Trigonal
Class (H-M):3 - Pyramidal
Space Group:P3
Cell Parameters:a = 7.37Å, c = 4.51Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 0.612
Unit Cell Volume:V 212.15 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:1
Morphology:Crystals tabular to short prismatic [0001].
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Simpsonite

Type:Uniaxial (-)
RI values: nω = 2.045 nε = 2.025
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.020

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Very High

Chemical Properties of Simpsonite

Formula:
Al
 
4
(Ta,Nb)
 
3
O
 
13
(OH,F)
Essential elements:Al, H, O, Ta
All elements listed in formula:Al, F, H, Nb, O, Ta

Relationship of Simpsonite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
4.DC.05Bahianite
Al
 
5
Sb
 
3
O
 
14
(OH)
 
2
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)
 
3
(Ta,Nb,Al)
 
11
(O,OH)
 
31
18.1.8Hydropyrochlore
(H
 
2
O,□)
 
2
Nb
 
2
(O,OH)
 
6
(H
 
2
O)
18.1.9Calciotantite
CaTa
 
4
O
 
11
18.1.10Rynersonite
Ca(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.11Microlite Group
18.1.12Belyankinite
Ca
 
1-2
(Ti,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 (of Hogarth 1977)
18.1.16Parabariomicrolite
BaTa
 
4
O
 
10
(OH)
 
2
 · 2H
 
2
O
18.1.17Bariopyrochlore (of Hogarth 1977)
18.1.18Alumotantite
AlTaO
 
4
18.1.20Sosedkoite
(K,Na)
 
5
Al
 
2
(Ta,Nb)
 
22
O
 
60
18.1.21Thoreaulite
(Sn
2+
 
,Pb)(Ta,Nb)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.22Stannomicrolite (of Hogarth 1977)
18.1.23Foordite
(Sn,Pb)(Nb,Ta)
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.24Changbaiite
PbNb
 
2
O
 
6
18.1.25Plumbopyrochlore (of Skorobogatova et al.)
18.1.26Plumbomicrolite (of Hogarth 1977)
18.1.27Stibiocolumbite
Sb(Nb,Ta)O
 
4
18.1.28Stibiotantalite
Sb(Ta,Nb)O
 
4
18.1.29Natrobistantite
18.1.30Cesplumtantite
(Cs,Na)
 
2
(Pb,Sb
3+
 
)
 
3
Ta
 
8
O
 
24
18.1.31Stibiomicrolite (of Groat et al.)
18.1.32Cesstibtantite
18.1.34Bismutotantalite
Bi(Ta,Nb)O
 
4
18.1.35Bismutomicrolite (of Hogarth 1977)
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
18.1.48Columbite-(Mg)
(Mg,Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)
 
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 Simpsonite

Synonyms:
CalogerasiteSimpsonite (of Bowley)
Other Languages:
German:Simpsonit
Portuguese:Calogerasita
Russian:Симпсонит
Spanish:Simpsonita

Other Information

Fluorescence in UV light:may fluoresce blue-white, SWUV
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 Simpsonite

Reference List:

- +
Bowley (1938-39), Report of the Department of Mines Western Australia: 93: 88.

Taylor (1938-39), Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia: 25: 93.

American Mineralogist (1940): 25: 313.

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 771.

Zapiski Vserossiyskogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva (1981): 110: 341-342.

Canadian Mineralogist (1992): 30: 663-671.

Internet Links for Simpsonite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
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  • Simpsonite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    • Localities for Simpsonite

    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.
    Australia
     
    • Western Australia
      • Cue Shire
        • Meka Station
    		Pegmatites of Western Australia; M Jacobson, M Calderwood, B Grguric; Hesperian Press, Perth, 2007.
      • Mount Magnet Shire
        • Dalgaranga Station
    		Pegmatites of Western Australia; M Jacobson, M Calderwood, B Grguric; Hesperian Press, Perth, 2007
      • Port Hedland Shire
        • Wallareenya Station
    		Mineralogical Magazine 1963 33 : 458-466; Pegmatites of Western Australia; M.I. Jacobson, M.A. Calderwood, B.A. Grguric; Hesperian Press, Perth, 2007
    Brazil
     
    • Minas Gerais
      • Jequitinhonha valley
        • Itinga
          • Monte Belo
    		Analysed (Reynaldo Contreira information)
    No reference listed
      • Borborema mineral province
        • Equador
    		Rob Lavinsky; http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/parabariomicrolite.pdf.; Mineralogical Magazine 1963 33 : 458-466; Canadian Mineralogist (1986): 24: 655-663.
    Canada
     
    • Manitoba
      • Lac-du-Bonnet area
        • Bernic Lake
    		www.davidkjoyceminerals.com
    Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaïre)
     
    • Katanga (Shaba)
    		Voloshin A.V., Pakhomovskii Ya.A. (1988) Mineralogy of tantalum and niobium in rare-metal pegmatites, - Leningrad, Nauka, p. 240 (in Rus.)
    • Nord-Kivu
      • Masisi Mts
    		V.D.C. Daltry (1992) The Type Mineralogy Of Africa : Zaire pp 33-62
    Safiannikoff, A. and van Wambeke, L. (1961): Sur un terme plombifere du groupe pyrochlore-microlite. Bulletin de la Société Francaise de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie 84: 382-384.
    Kazakhstan
     
    • Eastern Kazakhstan Province (Shyghys Qazaqstan Oblysy; Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast')
      • Kalba Range
    		Pekov, I. (1998) Minerals First discovered on the territory of the former Soviet Union 369p. Ocean Pictures, Moscow
    Pekov, I. (1998) Minerals First discovered on the territory of the former Soviet Union 369p. Ocean Pictures, Moscow
    Russia
     
    • Northern Region
      • Murmanskaja Oblast'
        • Kola Peninsula
          • Voron'i Tundry
    		J. W. Anthony et al.: Handbook of Mineralogy, Vol. III (1997); Pekov, I. (1998) Minerals First discovered on the territory of the former Soviet Union 369p. Ocean Pictures, Moscow; P.M. Kartashov data; Pekov, I. (1998) Minerals First discovered on the territory of the former Soviet Union 369p. Ocean Pictures, Moscow
    Zimbabwe
     
    • Mashonaland East
      • Mudzi District
    		Hornung. G. PhD thesis. Pegmatites of th N. Mtoko Region. University of Leeds, Research Institute of African Geology. !961
    Mineralogical Magazine 1963 33 : 458-466
    • Masvingo
      • Bikita Area
    		J. W. Anthony et al.: Handbook of Mineralogy, Vol. III (1997); Mineralogical Magazine 1946 27 : 157-165
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