Tellurium
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Tellurium
Formula:
Te
Colour:
Tin-white
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
2 - 2½
Specific Gravity:
6.1 - 6.3
Crystal System:
Trigonal
Member of:
Name:
for the Latin name of planet earth, "tellus".
Type Locality:
Isostructural with:
This page provides mineralogical data about Tellurium.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3906
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3906:8
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
c76840c1-06f1-4a0c-91ff-9a6be25ecf5b
IMA Classification of Tellurium
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
Classification of Tellurium
1.CC.10
1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
C : Metalloids and Nonmetals
C : Sulfur-selenium-iodine
1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
C : Metalloids and Nonmetals
C : Sulfur-selenium-iodine
Dana 7th ed.:
1.3.3.2
1.3.4.2
1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
3 : Semi-metals and non-metals
1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
3 : Semi-metals and non-metals
1.54
1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)
1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Te | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
| Te | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download |
Physical Properties of Tellurium
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Tin-white
Streak:
Grey
Hardness:
2 - 2½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Perfect
Perfect on {1010}, imperfect on {0001}
Perfect on {1010}, imperfect on {0001}
Density:
6.1 - 6.3 g/cm3 (Measured) 6.225 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Tellurium
Anisotropism:
Fairly strong
Reflectivity:
| Wavelength | R1 | R2 |
|---|---|---|
| 400nm | 58.1% | 64.2% |
| 420nm | 58.4% | 64.8% |
| 440nm | 58.7% | 65.3% |
| 460nm | 59.1% | 65.7% |
| 480nm | 59.3% | 66.1% |
| 500nm | 59.7% | 66.5% |
| 520nm | 60.0% | 66.8% |
| 540nm | 60.1% | 67.0% |
| 560nm | 60.2% | 66.8% |
| 580nm | 60.0% | 66.6% |
| 600nm | 59.5% | 66.0% |
| 620nm | 58.8% | 65.2% |
| 640nm | 57.9% | 64.3% |
| 660nm | 57.1% | 63.4% |
| 680nm | 56.1% | 62.3% |
| 700nm | 55.0% | 61.3% |
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 67.0%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Colour in reflected light:
white
Pleochroism:
Weak
Chemistry of Tellurium
Mindat Formula:
Te
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
Se,Fe,Bi,S
Crystallography of Tellurium
Crystal System:
Trigonal
Class (H-M):
3 2 - Trapezohedral
Space Group:
P31 2 1
Setting:
P31 2 1
Cell Parameters:
a = 4.4572 Å, c = 5.929 Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 1.33
Unit Cell V:
101.3 ų
Z:
3
Morphology:
Prismatic and acicular crystals
Crystallographic forms of Tellurium
Crystal Atlas:
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Tellurium no.2 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Tellurium no.5 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by
www.smorf.nl.
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0020696 | Tellurium | Adenis C, Langer V, Lindqvist O (1989) Reinvestigation of the structure of tellurium Acta Crystallographica C45 941-942 |  | 1989 | synthetic | 0 | 293 |
| 0011258 | Tellurium | Wyckoff R W G (1963) Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York Crystal Structures 1 7-83 | 1963 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0017993 | Tellurium | Bradley A (1924) The crystal structure of tellurium _cod_database_code 1011098 Philosophical Magazine 48 477-496 | 1924 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 3.230 Å | (100) |
| 2.351 Å | (37) |
| 2.228 Å | (31) |
| 3.86 Å | (20) |
| 1.835 Å | (20) |
| 1.479 Å | (13) |
| 1.616 Å | (12) |
Comments:
Synthetic
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12]) | |
| Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event | <2.4 |
| 45b : [Other oxidized fumarolic minerals] |
Type Occurrence of Tellurium
Synonyms of Tellurium
Other Language Names for Tellurium
Afrikaans:Telluur
Arabic:تيلوريوم
Armenian:Տելուր
Azeri:Tellur
Basque:Telurio
Belarusian:Тэлур
Bengali:টেলুরিয়াম
Bosnian:Telurijum
Bulgarian:Телур
Catalan:Tel·luri
Corsican:Telluriu
Croatian:Telurij
Czech:Tellur
Danish:Tellur
Dutch:Telluur
Esperanto:Teluro
Estonian:Telluur
Finnish:Telluuri
French:Tellure
Friulian:Teluri
Galician:Telurio
German:Tellur
Gediegen Tellur
Silvan
Gediegen Tellur
Silvan
Greek:Τελλούριο
Hebrew:טלור
Hindi:टेलुरियम
Hungarian:Tellúr
Icelandic:Tellúr
Ido:Telurio
Indonesian:Telurium
Irish Gaelic:Teallúiream
Italian:Tellurio
Japanese:自然テルル
Javanese:Telurium
Kannada:ಟೆಲ್ಲುರಿಯಮ್
Korean:텔루륨
Latvian:Telūrs
Lithuanian:Telūras
Lojban:Tedjicmu
Low Saxon/Low German:Tellur
Luxembourgish:Tellur
Malayalam:ടെലൂറിയം
Manx:Çhellurium
Marathi:टेलरियम
Norwegian:Tellur
Norwegian (Nynorsk):Tellur
Occitan:Telluri
Polish:Tellur
Portuguese:Telúrio
Quechua:Teluryu
Romanian:Telur
Russian:Теллур
Serbian:Телур
Serbo-Croatian:Telur
Sicilian:Telluriu
Simplified Chinese:自然碲
Slovak:Telúr
Slovenian:Telur
Spanish:Telurio
Swahili:Teluri
Swedish:Tellur
Tamil:டெலூரியம்
Thai:เทลลูเรียม
Turkish:Tellür
Ukrainian:Телур
Uzbek (Latin Script):Tellur
Vietnamese:Telua
Varieties of Tellurium
| Selen-tellurium | Se-bearing tellurium. Se 29%. Probably an isomorphous mixture. |
Relationship of Tellurium to other Species
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| 76 photos of Tellurium associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 38 photos of Tellurium associated with Nagyágite | [Pb3(Pb,Sb)3S6](Au,Te)3 |
| 32 photos of Tellurium associated with Rhodochrosite | MnCO3 |
| 29 photos of Tellurium associated with Calaverite | AuTe2 |
| 21 photos of Tellurium associated with Tellurite | TeO2 |
| 20 photos of Tellurium associated with Pyrite | FeS2 |
| 16 photos of Tellurium associated with Sphalerite | ZnS |
| 12 photos of Tellurium associated with Sylvanite | AgAuTe4 |
| 8 photos of Tellurium associated with Coloradoite | HgTe |
| 7 photos of Tellurium associated with Emmonsite | Fe3+2(TeO3)3 · 2H2O |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 1.CC. | Clinosulphur | S8 |
| 1.CC.05 | Rosickýite | S |
| 1.CC.05 | Sulphur | S8 |
| 1.CC.10 | Selenium | Se |
| 1.CC.15 | Iodine | I2 |
Other Information
Notes:
With HNO3 (1:1), effervesces vigorously and stains dark gray. FeCl3 (20%), slowly tarnishes brownish gray. No reaction with HCl (1:1), KCN (20%), KOH (40%), or HgCl2 (5%).
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Tellurium
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3906.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
Search Engines:
External Links:
References for Tellurium
Reference List:
Klaproth, M. H. (1802) Chemische Untersuchung der siebenbürgischen Golderze, A. Gediegen Tellur. In Beiträge zur chemischen Kenntniss der Mineralkörper Vol. 3. Rottmann, Berlin. p.2-15.
Localities for Tellurium
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Albania | |
| Anikó Lovász et al. (2018) +1 other reference |
Argentina | |
| DE BRODTKORB +1 other reference |
| DE BRODTKORB +1 other reference |
| BRODTKORB +2 other references | |
| DE BRODTKORB +1 other reference |
| Brodtkorb (2002) | |
Armenia | |
| Kovalenker et al. (2006) |
| Mederer et al. (2019) |
Australia | |
| Ehrig et al. (2012) |
| Econ Geol (1986) |
| Xue et al. (2014) |
| Ahmed A et all (2014) | |
| - (1903) +1 other reference |
Austria | |
| Putz +4 other references |
| C. Auer: Lapis 20 (11) |
| Strasser (1989) |
| Auer (2019) |
| Kolitsch (2014) |
Belgium | |
| Hatert (1996) +2 other references |
| Hatert et al. (2002) |
| perso.infonie.be (2004) |
Brazil | |
| Henwood (1871) |
| Henwood (1871) |
Bulgaria | |
| Kerestedjian (1997) |
| Bogdanov et al. (1997) +1 other reference |
| American Mineralogist (1966) +3 other references |
| K. Bogdanov et al. (2005) +2 other references |
Canada | |
| Peatfield (n.d.) |
| Manor |
| R. M. Thompson (1954) +1 other reference |
| Sparkes et al. (2016) |
| Ramdohr (1969) |
| Reiner Mielke 2017 |
| a possible Archean porphyry system. Economic geology (6) +1 other reference |
| www.mineralinfo.org (2008) |
Chile | |
| SEM-EDS by Joy Desor |
| Henley et al. (2012) +1 other reference |
| Maurizio Dini collection - analysed with EDX (by Dr. Jochen Schlüter) +1 other reference |
| www.lrz-muenchen.de (n.d.) +1 other reference | |
| I.Domeyko collection +2 other references |
China | |
| Cui et al. (1996) +1 other reference |
| Yanhe Cui et al. (1994) |
| Ruiqi Wang (1977) |
| Guanxiang Song (1991) +2 other references |
| Jianong Zhao et al. (1997) |
| Junxian Wang et al. (2011) | |
| Huijuan Zhu et al. (1989) +2 other references |
| Chang et al. (2022) |
| Zhenkuan Luo et al. (1999) +1 other reference |
| preprint |
| Shuzhang Tian et al. (1993) | |
| Song et al. (2023) |
| Qiangzhi Li et al. (2003) +1 other reference |
| Xia Ai and Zengyi Chen (1993) |
| Liyan Zhang (1985) |
| Li et al. (2019) |
| Handong Qian et al. (2000) |
| Changfu Chen et al. (1999) +2 other references |
| Xuefeng Yu (2001) +1 other reference | |
| Zhimin Cao (1991) |
| Yuchuan Chen et al. (1994) +3 other references |
Czech Republic | |
| Žáček et al. (2015) |
| Small and microscopical minerals |
Dominican Republic | |
| important factors in grade development. Economic Geology (8) +1 other reference |
Egypt | |
| Helmy (2005) |
Fiji | |
| Naden +1 other reference |
| Lum (1995) |
| 16th Australian Geological Convention |
| Naden +4 other references |
Finland | |
| Geological Survey of Finland 2008. Pampalo (Ward) |
| www.gsf.fi (n.d.) |
| Economic Geology (1996) +1 other reference |
France | |
| Chauris (2014) |
Germany | |
| Habel (2009) |
| Förster (2004) +1 other reference |
| Forster et al. (2004) |
Greece | |
| Voudouris et al. (2018) |
| Repstock (2011) +2 other references |
| Voudouris et al. (2011) | |
| Singer et al. (2008) |
| Voudouris +2 other references | |
| Bonev et al. (2005) +2 other references |
Honduras | |
| Dana 6:980. |
Hungary | |
| Szakáll & Gatter |
| 100 mineral localities of Hungary: ... +2 other references | |
| Takács et al. (2013) +1 other reference |
Italy | |
| Moroni et al. (2019) |
| Piccoli et al. (2007) |
| Oberto et al. (2021) |
| Fadda et al. (2005) |
| Ruggieri et al. (1) | |
| COSSA A. (1898) |
| Dini et al. (2024) |
| Dini et al. (2024) |
Japan | |
| K Jouhou (15-4-2002) +2 other references |
| Kosei Komuro (2017) |
| Yuningsih et al. (2018) |
| Africano et al. (2000) |
| Bernard (1985) +1 other reference | |
| Nakata et al (1989) +4 other references |
| 田中崇裕・濱根大輔: ... +2 other references | |
| Yosimura (1939) +1 other reference | |
| Ishibashi (1960) +1 other reference |
| Shimizu et al. (1991) +2 other references |
| Rocks & Min.: 62:167. +6 other references |
| Dr. Kameki Kinoshita collection (curated at Geological Survey of Japan) +3 other references | |
Kazakhstan | |
| Глоба В.А. Месторождение Манка - новый геолого-промышленный тип месторождений золота. // Изв. НАН РК et al. (403) |
Mexico | |
| Lawrence D. Dickey collection |
| Lapis 2001 (1) |
| Braith et al. (2001) +1 other reference | |
| Lapis 2001 (1) | |
New Zealand | |
| Courtney et al. (1990) |
Norway | |
| Neumann (1985) |
Papua New Guinea | |
| Lindley (1998) |
| Espi et al. (2005) +1 other reference |
| Espi et al. (2002) +1 other reference |
Peru | |
| Bendezú et al. (2009) |
| Bendezu et al. (2009) | |
Philippines | |
| Fermor 2011: Ore Deposits in an ... |
Romania | |
| |
| Klaproth (1802) +1 other reference |
| Dana 6:11. | |
| Gratian +5 other references |
| Simon et al. (1995) |
| Cook et al. (2003) +1 other reference | |
| Andrei Ionuț Apopei et al. (2016) |
| Afifi et al. (1988) +1 other reference | |
Russia | |
| Bestemianova et al. (2017, December) |
| Maslennikov et al. (2005) +2 other references |
| Seltmann et al. (2010) +1 other reference |
| Kasatkin et al. (2022) |
| Plotinskaya et al. (2018) |
| Plotinskaya et al. (2014) |
| Spiridonov et al. (the South Urals) +1 other reference | |
| Vikentyev I.V. e.a. (2004) |
| Maslennikov et al. (2013) | |
| Nagornaya et al. (2012) |
| Mineralogy of the Peschanka porphyry copper deposit et al. (Trans. Inst. Min. Metall. B) | |
| Yakich et al. (2021) |
| Distler et al. (2005) |
| |
| Sidorov et al. (2017, August) | |
| Sidorov +5 other references |
| Tolstykh et al. (2017) +2 other references | |
| V.A. Kovalenker (2005) +2 other references | |
| Glavatskih S.F. (2003) |
| Kalinin (2021) |
| Kalinin (2021) | |
| Bazai et al. (2009) |
| Chernyavsky et al. (2012) +1 other reference | |
| Vikent'ev et al. (2006) |
| Kuleshevich et al. (2012) |
| V. I. Ivashchenko et al. (2007) |
| Pavel.M. Kartashov (n.d.) +3 other references |
| Azovskova et al. (2013, January) |
Saudi Arabia | |
| Afifi et al. (1988) |
Slovakia | |
| Ďuďa (1993) |
South Africa | |
| Cairncross et al. (1995) | |
South Korea | |
| Choi et al. (2005) |
Spain | |
| A. Arribas et al. (2005) |
| www.foro-minerales.com (n.d.) | |
Sweden | |
| |
| Dobbe (1991) |
| Dobbe (1991) | |
| Oen et al. (1984) +2 other references |
| Ossian Åström (2015) |
Switzerland | |
| Stalder et al. (1998) |
Turkey | |
| Anthony et al. (1990) +2 other references |
UK | |
| Ixer et al. (1997) |
Ukraine | |
| Bobrov et al. (2006, August) +1 other reference |
USA | |
| Graeme (1993) |
| Graeme (1993) +2 other references | |
| Butler et al. (1938b) +1 other reference | |
| Bideaux et al. (1960) +1 other reference |
| Anthony et al. (1995) |
| Turner (1898b) +1 other reference |
| www.mineralsocal.org |
| Contributions to mineralogy +6 other references |
| Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 51 +4 other references | |
| Adams (2017) |
| Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 51. +3 other references |
| Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 51. +3 other references |
| Leicht et al. (1994) |
| Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 51. +4 other references |
| Dana 6:11. |
| Collection of Alex Earl |
| Brian Kosnar specimen (ex. Jack Byron Collection with label) | |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Mike Scott S102561 fm Cureton #CZQ ID ... |
| Eckel et al. (1997) | |
| Eckel et al. (1997) | |
| Dana 6: 11 +1 other reference | |
| Eckel et al. (1997) | |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Rocks & Min.:10:83. |
| RWMW specimem | |
| Dana 6:11 & Dana 7:I:594. +2 other references | |
| Dana 6:11. |
| Eckel et al. (1997) | |
| Dana 6: 11 +3 other references | |
| Dana 6: 11 +2 other references | |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Dana 7:I:199. |
| Dana 7:I:199 |
| Anthony et al. (1990) | |
| Econ Geol (1980) +2 other references |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Eckel et al. (1997) | |
| POHL et al. (1990) |
| Eckel et al. (1997) | |
| Tony Nikischer | |
| Am Min 89:1043-1047 +1 other reference |
| Eckel et al. (1997) | |
| Korbel et al. (1999) |
| Jenson |
| Specimens in the collection of Chris ... | |
| Min Rec 36:2 pp143-185 | |
| 2009 New Mexico Mineral Symposium ... | |
| Silliman (1819a, 1819b, 1819c) +3 other references |
| Morrill et al. 1958. +1 other reference |
| ... |
| Econ Geol (1994) |
| Gobla (2012) | |
| Economic Geology (1996) +1 other reference |
| Mineralogical Magazine 1996 60 : 871-876 |
| Castor et al. (2004) |
| Rocks & Minerals |
| Castor et al. (2004) | |
| Castor et al. (2004) |
| Castor et al. (2004) |
| Anthony et al. (1990) |
| Hayes et al. (2019) | |
| Northrop et al. (1996) |
| Northrop et al. (1996) |
| Walstrom (n.d.) +2 other references |
| Northrop et al. (1996) |
| Northrop et al. (1996) | |
| Northrop et al. (1996) | |
| Northrop et al. (1996) |
| Northrop et al. (1996) |
| Northrop et al. (1996) |
| Northrop et al. (1996) | |
| Northrop et al. (1996) | |
| Rocks & Min.:60:86. |
| Alminas +2 other references | |
| Miyawaki et al. (2019) +1 other reference |
| Coolbaugh et al. (2020) | |
| Collected by and in the collection of ... |
| SEM EDS confirmed by Rob Bowell. |
| Henwood (1871) |
| Henwood (1871) | |
| Dietrich (1990) |
| Anthony et al. (1990) |
| Dietrich (1990) |
Uzbekistan | |
| Kovalenker (2003) +1 other reference |
| Evseev (1995) +3 other references | |
Zimbabwe | |
| Afifi et al. (1988) +1 other reference |
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