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Atelestite

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Clara Mine, Rankach valley, Oberwolfach, Wolfach, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
© Stephan Wolfsried

Show Atelestite Photos (24)
Formula:
Bi
 
8
[O
 
5
|(OH)
 
5
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
]
System:MonoclinicColour:Sulfur-yellow to ...
Lustre:Adamantine, ResinousHardness:4½ - 5
Name:From the Greek άτελής for "incomplete," presumably because its composition was unknown when first described.


Atelestite Group

Classification of Atelestite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:7/B.30-02
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:8.BO.15

8 : PHOSPHATES, ARSENATES, VANADATES
B : Phosphates, etc., with additional anions, without H2O
O : With only large cations, (OH, etc.):RO4 about 1:1
Dana 7th edition ID:41.11.5.1
Dana 8th edition ID:41.11.5.1

41 : ANHYDROUS PHOSPHATES, ETC.CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN
11 : Miscellaneous
Hey's CIM Ref.:20.6.4

20 : Arsenates (also arsenates with phosphate, but without other anions)
6 : Arsenates of Bi
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Type Occurrence of Atelestite

Type Locality:Neuhilfe Mine, Neustädtel, Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
Year of Discovery:1832
Associated Minerals at type locality:
BismutiteBismutiteQuartz

Physical Properties of Atelestite

Lustre:Adamantine, Resinous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:Sulfur-yellow to yellowish-green or wax-yellow, yellow-brown; light yellow to colourless in transmitted light.
Comment:Crystals are sulfur-yellow.
Streak:(not reported)
Hardness (Mohs):4½ - 5
Cleavage:Poor/Indistinct
On {001}, indistinct.
Fracture:Sub-Conchoidal
Density (measured):6.82 g/cm3

Crystallography of Atelestite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Cell Parameters:a = 10.88Å, b = 7.42Å, c = 6.98Å
β = 107.2°
Ratio:a:b:c = 1.466 : 1 : 0.941
Unit Cell Volume:V 538.29 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:Crystals generally minute, tabular {100}, with a, g, d and q commonly prominent. q{313} somewhat rounded. Other faces sooth and brilliant. Also occurs as spherical or mammillary crystalline aggregates with smooth surfaces.

Optical Data of Atelestite

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 2.140 nβ = 2.150 nγ = 2.180
2V:Measured: 42° to 46°, Calculated: 62°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.040

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

Chemical Properties of Atelestite

Formula:
Bi
 
8
[O
 
5
|(OH)
 
5
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
]
Essential elements:As, Bi, H, O
All elements listed in formula:As, Bi, H, O

Relationship of Atelestite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
8.BO.05Nacaphite
Na
 
2
Ca[F|PO
 
4
]
8.BO.10Preisingerite
Bi
 
3
[O|OH|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BO.10Petitjeanite
Bi
 
3
[O|OH|(PO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BO.10Schumacherite
Bi
 
3
[O|OH|(VO
 
4
)
 
2
]
8.BO.15Hechtsbergite
Bi
 
2
[O|OH|VO
 
4
]
8.BO.15Smrkovecite
Bi
 
2
[O|OH|PO
 
4
]
8.BO.20Kombatite
Pb
 
14
[O
 
9
|(VO
 
4
)
 
2
|Cl
 
4
]
8.BO.20Sahlinite
Pb
 
14
[O
 
9
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
|Cl
 
4
]
8.BO.25Heneuite
CaMg
 
5
(CO
 
3
)(PO
 
4
)
 
3
OH
8.BO.30Nefedovite
Na
 
5
Ca
 
4
(PO
 
4
)
 
4
F
8.BO.35Kuznetsovite
(Hg-Hg)Hg
2+
 
[Cl|AsO
 
4
]
8.BO.40Artsmithite
(Hg-Hg)
2+
2
Al[(OH)
 
1+3x
|(PO
 
4
)
 
2-x
] (x ≈ 0.26)
8.BO.45Schlegelite
Bi
 
7
[O
 
4
|(MoO
 
4
)
 
2
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
]
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
20.6.1Rooseveltite
BiAsO
 
4
20.6.2Preisingerite
Bi
 
3
[O|OH|(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
]
20.6.3Arsenobismite
20.6.5Mixite
BiCu
 
6
[(OH)
 
6
|(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
] · 3H
 
2
O
20.6.6Walpurgite
(BiO)
 
4
(UO
 
2
)[AsO
 
4
]
 
2
 · 3H
 
2
O

Other Names for Atelestite

Synonyms:
AtalesiteAtaleziteRhagite
Other Languages:
German:Atalezit
Atelestit
Rhagit
Russian:Ателестит
Spanish:Atalezita
Atelestita
Rhagita

Other Information

Other Information:Readily soluble in HCl; soluble with difficulty in HNO3.
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 Atelestite

Reference List:Breithaupt, A. (1832) Vollständige Characteristik etc. 2nd. Ed.: 307.

Rath (1869) Annalen der Physik, Halle, Leipzig: 136: 422.

Weisbach (1874) Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paleontologie, Heidelberg, Stuttgart: 302, 870 (as Rhagite).

Winkler (1874) Journal für praktische Chemie, Leipzig: 10: 190.

Goldschmidt, V. (1886) Index der Krystallformen der Mineralien. 3 volumes: 1: 265.

Busz (1889) Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, Mineralogie und Petrographie, Leipzig: 15: 625

Goldschmidt, V. (1913) Atlas der Krystallformen. 9 volumes, atlas, and text: vol. 1: 120.

Larsen, E.S. (1921) The Microscopic Determination of the Nonopaque Minerals, First edition, USGS Bulletin 679: 42.

Frondel, C. (1943) American Mineralogist: 28: 538 (discreditation of Rhagite).

Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 7th edition, revised and enlarged, 1124 pp.: 792-793.

Canadian Mineralogist (1963): 7: 547-553.

Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte (1996): (3): 97-102.

Articles/Blogs about Atelestite

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    Localities for Atelestite

    Hide Locality List
    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.
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    (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)
      • Karlovy Vary Region
        • Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge)
          • Ostrov
    		Lapis 2002(7/8), 63-65
        • Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad)
          • Slavkovský Les Mts
    		Ridkosil, T., Sejkora, J., Srein, V. (1996): Smrkovecite, monoclinic Bi2O(OH)(PO4), a new mineral of the atelestite group. Neues Jahrb.Mineral., Mh., 1996, 97-102; Anthony, Bideaux, Bladh, Nichols: Handbook of Mineralogy, Vol. IV
      • Liberec Region
        • Harrachov (Harrachsdorf)
    		Sejkora, J., Veselovský, F., Šrein, V.: The supergene mineralization of uranium occurence Rýžoviště near Harrachov (Krkonoše Mts., Czech republic). Acta Mus. Nat. Prague, Ser. B, Hist. nat., 1994, 50, p. 55-91.
    France
     
    • Alsace
      • Haut-Rhin
        • Fecht valley (Munster valley)
          • Munster
    		Nicolas Meisser, Lausanne Geologic Museum
    • Languedoc-Roussillon
      • Lozère
        • Estables
    		Queneau Patrice collection
    • Lorraine
      • Vosges
        • Val-d'Ajol
    		Favreau G., Iltis A. (2000), Données complémentaires sur les minéraux du Val d'Ajol (Vosges), Le Cahier des Micromonteurs, n°1, pp: 39-54
    Germany
     
    • Baden-Württemberg
      • Black Forest
    		K. Walenta: "Die Mineralien des Schwarzwaldes", Weise (Munich), 1992
        • Baiersbronn
          • Schönegründ
    		No reference listed
        • Calw
    No reference listed
        • Schenkenzell
          • Wittichen
            • Burgfelsen
    		No reference listed
            • Heubach Valley
    		No reference listed
    K. Walenta: "Die Mineralien des Schwarzwaldes", Weise (Munich), 1992
            • Wüstenbächle
    		Aufschluss 1981(5), 176
        • Wolfach
          • Oberwolfach
            • Rankach valley
    		Walenta, K. (1992): Die Mineralien des Schwarzwaldes. Chr. Weise Verlag, München, 336 pp. (in German); Gröbner, J., Kolitsch, U. und Bayerl, R. (2005): Interessante Uranmineralien im Stinkspat der Grube Clara. Lapis 30 (10), 34-39; 90; Gröbner, J., Bayerl, R. und Kolitsch, U. (2006): Weitere Beobachtungen zu den Uran- und Vanadium-Paragenesen der Grube Clara aus den Jahren 2002, 2004 und 2005. Erzgräber 20, 1-10
    • Hesse
      • Odenwald
        • Bensheim
          • Gadernheim
    		No reference listed
          • Reichenbach
            • Hohenstein
    		No reference listed
    • Saxony
      • Erzgebirge
        • Johanngeorgenstadt
          • Steinbach
    		Wittern: "Mineralfundorte in Deutschland", 2001
        • Schneeberg District
          • Neustädtel
    		No reference listed
    Lapis 30(7/8):41-70 (2005)
    Lapis 30(7/8):41-70 (2005)
    Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 793; Lapis (2005): 30(7/8): 70.
    Lapis 30(7/8):41-70 (2005)
    Lapis 30(7/8):41-70 (2005)
    Lapis 30(7/8):41-70 (2005)
    Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 793; Anthony, Bideaux, Bladh, Nichols: Handbook of Mineralogy, Vol. IV.
    Lapis 30(7/8):41-70 (2005)
          • Wolfgang Maaßen Mine field
    		Lapis 30(7/8):41-70 (2005)
    Lapis 30(7/8):41-70 (2005)
    Greece
     
    • Attikí (Attica; Attika) Prefecture
      • Lavrion (Laurion; Laurium) District
        • Lavrion District Mines
          • Agios Konstantinos [St Constantine] (Kamareza; Kamariza)
            • Kamareza Mines
    		No reference listed
    Switzerland
     
    • Wallis (Valais)
      • Anniviers Valley
        • Saint-Luc
    		Stalder, H. A., Wagner, A., Graeser, S. and Stuker, P. (1998): "Mineralienlexikon der Schweiz", Verlag Wepf & Co. (Basel), p. 56
    USA
     
    • Utah
      • Juab Co.
        • East Tintic Mts
          • Tintic District
    		Handbook of Mineralogy; Anthony, John W., et. al. Volume IV.
      • Tooele Co.
        • Deep Creek Mts
          • Gold Hill District (Clifton District)
            • Gold Hill
              • Gold Hill Mine (Western Utah Mine)
    		collected by Brent Thorne
      • Utah Co.
        • Tintic District
          • Eureka
    Mineral and/or Locality
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