Named in 1999 by Nicolas Meisser, Elena-Adriana Perseil, Joel Brugger, Pierre-Jaques Chiappero of the presence of strontium and the black color, μελανός in Greek.

Type Locality:

ⓘ Praborna Mine, Saint-Marcel, Aosta Valley, Italy

Isostructural with:

Coronadite, Cryptomelane, Ferrihollandite, Hollandite, Manjiroite

Coronadite Group. Many manganese oxides are better identified using infra-red spectroscopy than by x-ray diffraction because of issues of crystal size, disorder, etc. (Potter and Rossman, 1979).

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

7317

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:7317:8

GUID
(UUID V4):

3700b2c7-2528-4080-8674-634af92eff04

IMA Classification of StrontiomelaneHide

IMA status:

Approved

First published:

1999

Classification of StrontiomelaneHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

4.DK.05a

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
D : Metal: Oxygen = 1:2 and similar
K : With large (+- medium-sized) cations; tunnel structures

Mineral SymbolsHide

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.

Symbol	Source	Reference
Sml	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43
Sml	Warr (2020)	Warr, L.N. (2020) Recommended abbreviations for the names of clay minerals and associated phases. Clay Minerals, 55, 261–264 doi:10.1180/clm.2020.30

Physical Properties of StrontiomelaneHide

Lustre:

Sub-Metallic

Transparency:

Opaque

Colour:

Black

Streak:

Sepia, brown

Hardness:

4 - 4½ on Mohs scale

Hardness:

VHN₁₀₀=398 kg/mm² - Vickers

Tenacity:

Brittle

Density:

4.66 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Comment:

Natural material unsuitable for physical measurement.

Optical Data of StrontiomelaneHide

Anisotropism:

Moderate, gray-blue to white.

Reflectivity:

Wavelength	R₁	R₂
470nm	34.2%	26.0%
543nm	31.7%	24.4%
587nm	30.6%	23.4%
657nm	29.7%	22.3%

Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 34.2%.
R₁ shown in black, R₂ shown in red

Colour in reflected light:

Grey, in oil.

Internal Reflections:

None.

Pleochroism:

Strong

Comments:

Strong gray-white pleochroism. Similar to hollandite.

Chemistry of StrontiomelaneHide

Mindat Formula:

Sr(Mn⁴⁺₆Mn³⁺₂)O₁₆

Elements listed:

Mn, O, Sr - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Common Impurities:

Ba,K

Crystallography of StrontiomelaneHide

Crystal System:

Monoclinic

Class (H-M):

2/m - Prismatic

Space Group:

P2₁/b

Cell Parameters:

a = 10.00 Å, b = 5.758 Å, c = 9.881 Å

Ratio:

a:b:c = 1.737 : 1 : 1.716

Unit Cell V:

0.00 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Morphology:

Black elongated inclusions (100-200 μm) in black braunite, quartz, violan, or strontiopiemontite.

Comment:

P21/n

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
7.02 Å	(10)
4.96 Å	(30)
3.52 Å	(30)
3.50 Å	(30)
3.15 Å	(100)
3.13 Å	(80)
2.86 Å	(5)
2.75 Å	(30)
2.504 Å	(5)
2.481 Å	(>5)
2.409 Å	(80)
2.229 Å	(40)
2.217 Å	(30)
2.170 Å	(60)
1.997 Å	(10)
1.982 Å	(5)
1.937 Å	(5)
1.855 Å	(30)
1.843 Å	(30)
1.772 Å	(>5)
1.749 Å	(>5)
1.702 Å	(5)
1.668 Å	(20)
1.648 Å	(20)
1.556 Å	(50)
1.436 Å	(20)
1.369 Å	(20)
1.355 Å	(20)
1.303 Å	(20)

Comments:

Meisser, Perseil, Brugger, and Chiappero (1999)

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks	>3.0
36 : Carbonatites, kimberlites, and related igneous rocks
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event	<2.4
47e : [Vanadates, chromates, manganates]
47h : [Near-surface oxidized, dehydrated minerals]
Stage 10a: Neoproterozoic oxygenation/terrestrial biosphere	<0.6
48 : Soil leaching zone minerals	<0.6

Type Occurrence of StrontiomelaneHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Praborna Mine, Saint-Marcel, Aosta Valley, Italy

General Appearance of Type Material:

Strontiomelane occurs as thin (100-200 µm), submetallic, black, elongate xenomorphic inclusions commonly aggregated with braunite in quartz and, more rarely, in violet pyroxene (variety "violan" of diopside-aegirine-jadeite) and in strontiopiemontite.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

The Geological Museum of Lausanne, Switzerland (MGL 58770).
Laboratoire et Galerie de Minéralogie, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France (SM 7090.96).

Geological Setting of Type Material:

Manganese-enriched horizons are embedded in a 4-8 m thick quartzitic layer that represents the basal part of the sedimentary cover of an ophiolitic sequence, tectonically related to the Piemont Nappe.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Violan	Titanite	Roméite Group	Quartz	Piemontite-(Sr)
Jadeite	Hollandite	Fluorapatite	Cryptomelane	Braunite

Synonyms of StrontiomelaneHide

IMA1995-005

Other Language Names for StrontiomelaneHide

German:Strontiomelan

Japanese:ストロンチオメレン

Simplified Chinese:黑锰锶矿

Traditional Chinese:黑錳鍶礦

Relationship of Strontiomelane to other SpeciesHide

Member of:

Coronadite Group > Hollandite Supergroup

Other Members of this group:

Coronadite	Pb(Mn⁴⁺₆Mn³⁺₂)O₁₆	Mon. 2/m
Cryptomelane	K(Mn⁴⁺₇Mn³⁺)O₁₆	Mon. 2/m
Ferricoronadite	Pb(Mn⁴⁺₆Fe³⁺₂)O₁₆	Tet. 4/m : I4/m
Ferrihollandite	Ba(Mn⁴⁺₆Fe³⁺₂)O₁₆	Mon. 2/m
Hollandite	Ba(Mn⁴⁺₆Mn³⁺₂)O₁₆	Mon. 2/m
Manjiroite	Na(Mn⁴⁺₇Mn³⁺)O₁₆	Tet. 4/m : I4/m
Thalliomelane	Tl(Mn⁴⁺_7.5Cu²⁺_0.5)O₁₆	Tet. 4/m : I4/m

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

4.DK.	Ferrihollandite	Ba(Mn⁴⁺₆Fe³⁺₂)O₁₆	Mon. 2/m
4.DK.K	Thalliomelane	Tl(Mn⁴⁺_7.5Cu²⁺_0.5)O₁₆	Tet. 4/m : I4/m
4.DK.4.DK.	Ferricoronadite	Pb(Mn⁴⁺₆Fe³⁺₂)O₁₆	Tet. 4/m : I4/m
4.DK.05	Akaganeite	(Fe³⁺,Ni²⁺)₈(OH,O)₁₆Cl_1.25 · nH₂O	Mon. 2/m
4.DK.05a	Coronadite	Pb(Mn⁴⁺₆Mn³⁺₂)O₁₆	Mon. 2/m
4.DK.05a	Cryptomelane	K(Mn⁴⁺₇Mn³⁺)O₁₆	Mon. 2/m
4.DK.05a	Hollandite	Ba(Mn⁴⁺₆Mn³⁺₂)O₁₆	Mon. 2/m
4.DK.05a	Manjiroite	Na(Mn⁴⁺₇Mn³⁺)O₁₆	Tet. 4/m : I4/m
4.DK.05b	Mannardite	Ba(Ti⁴⁺₆V³⁺₂)O₁₆	Tet. 4/m : I4₁/a
4.DK.05b	Priderite	K(Ti⁴⁺₇Fe³⁺)O₁₆	Tet. 4/m : I4/m
4.DK.05b	Redledgeite	Ba(Ti⁴⁺₆Cr³⁺₂)O₁₆	Tet.
4.DK.05b	Henrymeyerite	Ba(Ti⁴⁺₇Fe²⁺)O₁₆	Tet. 4/m : I4/m
4.DK.10	Romanèchite	(Ba,H₂O)₂(Mn⁴⁺,Mn³⁺)₅O₁₀	Mon. 2/m
4.DK.10	Todorokite	(Na,Ca,K,Ba,Sr)_1-x(Mn,Mg,Al)₆O₁₂ · 3-4H₂O	Mon. 2/m : P2/m

Fluorescence of StrontiomelaneHide

In UV light:

Not fluorescent in UV

Other InformationHide

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 StrontiomelaneHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-7317.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

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References for StrontiomelaneHide

Reference List:

Potter, Russell M., Rossman, George R (1979) The tetravalent manganese oxides: identification, hydration, and structural relationships by infrared spectroscopy. American Mineralogist, 64 (11-12) 1199-1218

Meisser, N., Perseil, E.-A., Brugger, J., Chiappero, P.-J. (1999) Strontiomelane, SrMn4+6Mn3+2O16, a new mineral species of the cryptomelane group from St. Marcel - Praborna, Aosta Valley, Italy. The Canadian Mineralogist, 37, 673-678.

(2023) Strontiomelane. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for StrontiomelaneHide

This 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.

Locality ListHide

- 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). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.


Belgium
Wallonia Luxembourg Vielsalm Salmchâteau ⓘ Le Coreux	Meisser et al. (1999) +2 other references

Italy (TL)
Aosta Valley Saint-Marcel ⓘ Praborna Mine (TL)	Meisser et al. (1999)

Japan
Nagasaki Prefecture Nagasaki City Kinkai-Tone-machi ⓘ Tone mine	Fukushima et al (2004) +1 other reference

Strontiomelane

About StrontiomelaneHide