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Atelestite

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Hérival, Val-d'Ajol, Vosges, Lorraine, France
© Jacques VALVERDE

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Formula:
Bi
 
2
(AsO
 
4
)O(OH)
System:MonoclinicColour:Sulphur-yellow to ...
Lustre:Adamantine, ResinousHardness:4½ - 5
Member of:Atelestite Group
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:
QuartzBismutiteBismutite

Physical Properties of Atelestite

Lustre:Adamantine, Resinous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:Sulphur-yellow to yellowish-green or wax-yellow, yellow-brown; light yellow to colourless in transmitted light.
Comment:Crystals are sulphur-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 smooth 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
 
2
(AsO
 
4
)O(OH)
Essential elements:As, Bi, H, O
All elements listed in formula:As, Bi, H, O

Relationship of Atelestite to other Species

Member of:Atelestite Group
Other Members of Group:

- +
Hechtsbergite
Bi
 
2
(VO
 
4
)O(OH)
Smrkovecite
Bi
 
2
(PO
 
4
)O(OH)
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
8.BO.05Nacaphite
Na
 
2
Ca(PO
 
4
)F
8.BO.10Preisingerite
Bi
 
3
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
O(OH)
8.BO.10Petitjeanite
Bi
 
3
(PO
 
4
)
 
2
O(OH)
8.BO.10Schumacherite
Bi
 
3
(VO
 
4
)
 
2
O(OH)
8.BO.15Hechtsbergite
Bi
 
2
(VO
 
4
)O(OH)
8.BO.15Smrkovecite
Bi
 
2
(PO
 
4
)O(OH)
8.BO.20Kombatite
Pb
 
14
(VO
 
4
)
 
2
O
 
9
Cl
 
4
8.BO.20Sahlinite
Pb
 
14
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
O
 
9
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
+
2
)Hg
2+
 
(AsO
 
4
)Cl
8.BO.40Artsmithite
(Hg
+
2
)
 
2
Al(PO
 
4
)
 
1.74
(OH)
 
1.78
8.BO.45Schlegelite
Bi
 
7
(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
(MoO
 
4
)
 
2
O
 
4
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
20.6.1Rooseveltite
Bi(AsO
 
4
)
20.6.2Preisingerite
Bi
 
3
(AsO
 
4
)
 
2
O(OH)
20.6.3Arsenobismite
20.6.5Mixite
BiCu
 
6
(AsO
 
4
)
 
3
(OH)
 
6
 · 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.

Fischer, E. (1956): Über Morphologie und chemische Zusammensetzung von Atelestit. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 5(2), 113-117 (in German).

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

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

Internet Links for Atelestite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Atelestite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    • Localities for Atelestite

    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)
      • Karlovy Vary Region
        • Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge)
          • Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal) District
    		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
        • Saint-Amans
          • 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
    		Walenta, K. (1992): "Die Mineralien des Schwarzwaldes", Weise (Munich).; American Mineralogist: 69: 1190
    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
        • Lautertal (Odenwald)
          • Gadernheim
    		No reference listed
          • Reichenbach
            • Hohenstein
    		No reference listed
    • Saxony
      • Erzgebirge
        • Johanngeorgenstadt District
          • 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.
    Stephan Wolfsried collection
    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] (Kamariza)
            • Kamariza Mines (Kamareza Mines)
              • Hilarion area
    		Rieck, B & Rieck, P (1999). LAPIS 24 7/8, 59-63 (the complete (at that time!) mineral list; in German)
    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
    		Handbook of Mineralogy
    Mineral and/or Locality
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    Copyright © Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau 1993-2012. Site Map. Locality, mineral & photograph data are the copyright of the individuals who submitted them. Further information contact the Site hosted & developed by Jolyon Ralph. Mindat.org is an online information resource dedicated to providing free mineralogical information to all. Mindat relies on the contributions of hundreds of members and supporters. Mindat does not offer minerals for sale. If you would like to add information to improve the quality of our database, then click here to register.
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