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Avicennite

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Thallium Prospect, Little Valley, Tooele Co., Utah, USA
© Bert Hendriksen

Formula:
Tl
 
2
O
 
3
System:IsometricColour:Greyish black with ...
Lustre:MetallicHardness:1½ - 2½
Name:For the medieval Uzbek (Persian) scholar and physician, Abu 'Ali al-Husayn ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Sina (Avicenna) (930-1037), who lived in Bukhara, Tadzhikistan.
This page provides mineralogical data about Avicennite.

Classification of Avicennite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:4/C.03-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:4.CB.10

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
C : Metal: Oxygen = 2: 3,3: 5, and similar
B : With medium-sized cations
Dana 8th edition ID:4.3.8.1

4 : SIMPLE OXIDES
3 : A2X3
Hey's CIM Ref.:7.7.3

7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
7 : Oxides of Group III metals other than Al
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Type Occurrence of Avicennite

Type Locality:Dzhuzumli Village, Zirabulak railway station, Zirabulak Mts (Zirabulakskie Mts), Samarkand (Samarqand) Viloyati, Uzbekistan
Year of Discovery:1958
Geological Setting of type material:Weathered zone of a hematite-calcite vein cutting banded marmorized and silicified limestones near a granite-gneiss contact
Associated Minerals at type locality:
LimoniteHematite

Occurrences of Avicennite

Geological Setting:Oxidation product of carlinite in carbonaceous gold ores in silicified limestones and quartz (Carlin, Nevada, USA).

Physical Properties of Avicennite

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Greyish black with brownish black tint
Streak:Greyish black, black with a brownish tint
Hardness (Mohs):1½ - 2½
Hardness (Vickers):VHN25=80 kg/mm2
Tenacity:Very brittle
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven, Hackly, Conchoidal
Density (measured):8.9 g/cm3
Density (calculated):10.34 g/cm3

Crystallography of Avicennite

Crystal System:Isometric
Class (H-M):m3 (2/m 3) - Diploidal
Space Group:Ia3 (I21/a 3)
Cell Parameters:a = 10.5468Å
Unit Cell Volume:V 1,173.17 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:16
Morphology:Crystals, less than 1 mm, some showing subhedral octahedral faces; porous grains; coatings on carlinite
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
3.044 (100)
1.864 (38)
2.637 (37)
1.590 (30)
4.307 (17)
2.068 (7)
Comments:Recorded on material from Carlin, Nevada, USA.

Optical Data of Avicennite

Type:Isotropic
Reflectivity:
400 nmR=11.5%
470 nmR=12.5%
500 nmR=13.0%
546 nmR=12.7%
589 nmR=12.3%
650 nmR=10.6%
700 nmR=11.5%


Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 13.0%.
Colour in reflected light:Pale grey to medium grey

Chemical Properties of Avicennite

Formula:
Tl
 
2
O
 
3
Essential elements:O, Tl
All elements listed in formula:O, Tl
Analyical Data:Average of three electron microprobe analyses of material from Carlin, Nevada, USA.
Tl (89.6)

corresponding to 100.1 wt.-% of Tl2O3
Common Impurities:Fe

Relationship of Avicennite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
4.CB.05Brizziite
NaSb
5+
 
O
 
3
4.CB.05Corundum
Al
 
2
O
 
3
4.CB.05Ecandrewsite
(Zn,Fe
2+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)TiO
 
3
4.CB.05Eskolaite
Cr
 
2
O
 
3
4.CB.05Geikielite
MgTiO
 
3
4.CB.05Hematite
Fe
 
2
O
 
3
4.CB.05Ilmenite
Fe
2+
 
TiO
 
3
4.CB.05Karelianite
V
 
2
O
 
3
4.CB.05Melanostibite
Mn
2+
 
(Sb
5+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)O
 
3
4.CB.05Pyrophanite
Mn
2+
 
TiO
 
3
4.CB.05Auroantimonate
AuSbO
 
3
4.CB.05Romanite
([],Pb,Ca)UFe
2+
2
(Ti,Fe
3+
 
)
 
6
Ti
 
12
O
 
38
4.CB.10Bixbyite
(Mn
3+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)
 
2
O
 
3
4.CB.15Armalcolite
(Mg,Fe
2+
 
)Ti
 
2
O
 
5
4.CB.15Pseudobrookite
Fe
 
2
TiO
 
5
4.CB.15Mongshanite
(Mg,Cr,Fe
2+
 
)
 
2
(Ti,Zr)
 
5
O
 
12
4.CB.20Zincohögbomite-2N2S
Ti(Zn,Mg,Fe)
 
2
Al
 
8
O
 
15
(OH)
4.CB.20Zincohögbomite-2N6S
Ti(Zn,Mg,Fe)
 
6
Al
 
16
O
 
31
(OH)
4.CB.20Magnesiohögbomite-6N6S
Ti(Mg,Fe)
 
2
Al
 
8
O
 
15
(OH)
4.CB.20Magnesiohögbomite-2N3S
Ti(Mg,Fe)
 
3
Al
 
10
O
 
19
(OH)
4.CB.20Magnesiohögbomite-2N2S
Ti(Mg,Fe)
 
2
Al
 
8
O
 
15
(OH)
4.CB.20Ferrohögbomite-6N12S
Ti(Fe,Mg)
 
4
Al
 
12
O
 
23
(OH)
4.CB.25Pseudorutile
Fe
 
2
Ti
 
3
O
 
9
4.CB.25Tietaiyangite
Fe
3+
4
Fe
2+
 
TiO
 
9
4.CB.30Berdesinskiite
V
3+
2
TiO
 
5
4.CB.35Kyzylkumite
V
 
2
Ti
 
3
O
 
9
4.CB.35Olkhonskite
(Cr,V)
 
2
Ti
 
3
O
 
9
4.CB.35Schreyerite
V
 
2
Ti
 
3
O
 
9
4.CB.40Kamiokite
Fe
 
2
Mo
 
3
O
 
8
4.CB.40Nolanite
(V,Fe,Fe,Ti)
 
10
O
 
14
(OH)
 
2
4.CB.40Rinmanite
Zn
 
2
Sb
 
2
Mg
 
2
Fe
 
4
O
 
14
(OH)
 
2
4.CB.45Claudetite
As
 
2
O
 
3
4.CB.45Stibioclaudetite
AsSbO
 
3
4.CB.50Arsenolite
As
 
2
O
 
3
4.CB.50Sénarmontite
Sb
 
2
O
 
3
4.CB.55Valentinite
Sb
 
2
O
 
3
4.CB.60Bismite
Bi
 
2
O
 
3
4.CB.65Sphaerobismoite
Bi
 
2
O
 
3
4.CB.70Sillénite
Bi
 
12
SiO
 
20
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
7.7.1Söhngeite
Ga(OH)
 
3
7.7.2Cerianite-(Ce)
(Ce
4+
 
,Th)O
 
2
7.7.4Dzhalindite
In(OH)
 
3

Other Names for Avicennite

German names:
Avicennit
Russian names:
Авиценнит
Spanish names:
Avicennita

Other Information

Health Warning:Contains thallium - always wash hands after handling. Avoid inhaling dust when handling or breaking. Never lick or ingest.

References for Avicennite

Reference List:Karpova, K. N., Kon'kova, E. A., Larkin, E. D. and Savel'ev, V. F. (1958): Avicennite, a new mineral. Dokl. Akad. Nauk. Uzbekistan SSR 2, 23-26 (in Russian). - American Mineralogist (1959) 44, 1324-1325 (abstract).

Kon'kova, E. A. and Savel'ev, V. F. (1960): A new thallium mineral - avicennite. Zap. Vses. Mineral. Obshch. 89, 316-320 (in Russian).

Vlasov, K. A., Ed. (1966): Mineralogy of rare elements, Vol. 2, 604-605.

Radtke, A. S., Dickson, F. W. and Slack, J. F. (1978): Occurrence and formation of avicennite, Tl2O3, as a secondary mineral at the Carlin gold deposit, Nevada. J. Res. U.S. Geol. Surv. 6, 241-246.

Anthony, J. W. et al. (1997): Handbook of Mineralogy, Vol. 3, 31.

Internet Links for Avicennite

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    Localities for Avicennite

    (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.
    USA
     
    • Nevada
      • Eureka Co.
        • Lynn District
          • Elko
    		NBMG Spec. Pub. 31 Minerals of Nevada
    • Utah
      • Tooele Co.
        • Little Valley
    		No reference listed
    Uzbekistan
     
    • Samarkand (Samarqand) Viloyati
      • Zirabulak Mts (Zirabulakskie Mts)
        • Zirabulak railway station
    		Anthony, J. W. et al. (1997): Handbook of Mineralogy, Vol. 3, 30
    Mineral and/or Locality
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