Learning Center What is a mineral?The most common minerals on earth Information for Educators Mindat Articles The Elements The Rock H. Currier Digital Library Geologic Time

Minerals by Properties Minerals by Chemistry Advanced Locality Search Random Mineral Random Locality Search by minID Localities Near Me Search Articles Search Glossary More Search Options

The Mindat Manual Add a New Photo Rate Photos Locality Edit Report Coordinate Completion Report Add Glossary Item

Mining Companies Statistics Users Mineral Museums Clubs & Organizations Mineral Shows & Events The Mindat Directory Device Settings The Mineral Quiz

Photo Search Photo Galleries Search by Color New Photos Today New Photos Yesterday Members' Photo Galleries Past Photo of the Day Gallery Photography

Cousinite

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered - questionable

This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.

Edit Add Synonym Edit CIF structures Clear Cache

Jules Cousin

Formula:

MgU₂Mo₂O₁₁ · 6H₂O

Colour:

Black

Lustre:

Vitreous

Name:

Named in 1958 by J.F. Vaes after Jules Cousin (Comblain-au-Pont, Liège province, Belgium, January 12 1884 - Brussels, November 12 1965). He worked for the Union Minière du Haut-Katanga, in Africa and in Belgium.

Type Locality:

ⓘ Shinkolobwe Mine, Shinkolobwe, Kambove Territory, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo

Possibly a "Mg-Umohoite". Reinvestigation by modern methods needed.

Davison (1954) describes also an uran molybdate of Mg as monoclinic / pseudo-orthorombic with a = 6.37, b = 33.46, c = 15.0 A and beta = 90°. This mineral is listed in the recent compilation of unnamed species (Smith & Nickel, 2007) as UM1954-// - MoO-MgU.

Hide all sections | Show all sections

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

1143

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:1143:9

GUID
(UUID V4):

f9f354bc-ab73-4187-b353-c40dc093b057

IMA Classification of CousiniteHide

IMA status:

Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959), Questionable

IMA Formula:

MgU⁴⁺₂(MoO₄)₂(OH)₆ · 2H₂O (?)

Type description reference:

Vaes, J.F. (1958) Cousiniet, een nieuw uraanmineral. Geologie en Mijnbouw: 20: 449.

Classification of CousiniteHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

7.HA.10

7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
H : Uranium and uranyl molybdates and wolframates
A : With U⁴⁺

Dana 8th ed.:

49.3.2.1

49 : HYDRATED MOLYBDATES AND TUNGSTATES
3 : Hydrated Molybdates and Tungstates Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

Hey's CIM Ref.:

27.3.10

27 : Sulphites, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
3 : Molybdates

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference
Cus	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of CousiniteHide

Lustre:

Vitreous

Transparency:

Translucent

Colour:

Black

Chemistry of CousiniteHide

Mindat Formula:

MgU₂Mo₂O₁₁ · 6H₂O

Elements listed:

H, Mg, Mo, O, U - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event	<2.4
47a : [Near-surface hydration of prior minerals]
47f : [Uranyl (U⁶⁺) minerals]

Type Occurrence of CousiniteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Shinkolobwe Mine, Shinkolobwe, Kambove Territory, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo

General Appearance of Type Material:

thin blades

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

Royal Belgium Institute of Natural History, Brussels, Belgium, RC4759 and RC4760.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Wulfenite

Uraninite

Molybdenite

Reference:

Vaes, J.F. (1958) Cousiniet, een nieuw uraanmineral. Geologie en Mijnbouw: 20: 449.

Other Language Names for CousiniteHide

German:Cousinit

Spanish:Cousinita

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

7.HA.05	Sedovite	U(MoO₄)₂	Orth.
7.HA.15	Moluranite	H₄U⁴⁺(UO₂)₃(MoO₄)₇ · 18H₂O	Amor.

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 CousiniteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-1143.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

Search Engines:

Look for Cousinite on Google

Look for Cousinite images on Google

Look for Cousinite on Bing

Look for Cousinite images on Bing

Look for Cousinite on DuckDuckGo

Look for Cousinite images on DuckDuckGo

Look for Cousinite in the Rock H. Currier Digital Library

External Links:

Look for Cousinite on Webmineral

Look for Cousinite on Wikipedia

Look for Cousinite on Mineralien Atlas

Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

Mineral Dealers:

Blue Gems Australian & International

Fine Minerals from Weinrich Minerals, Inc.

The Arkenstone - Fine Minerals

High-end worldwide specimens & outstanding customer service

Buy from McDougall Minerals

Wilensky Exquisite Minerals

Buy rare minerals from Excalibur Minerals

Buy from David K Joyce minerals

References for CousiniteHide

Reference List:

Kuporev, I.V., Kalashnikova, S.A., Gurzhiy, V.V. (2024): Crystal Chemistry and Structural Complexity of the Uranyl Molybdate Minerals and Synthetic Compounds. Crystals, 14, 15.

http://forum.amiminerals.it/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19175&sid=26385f21c5851409f9b24031e98541a2

Davidson, G.F. (1954) in Summary of progress Geol. Surv. G. Gr.: 70.

Vaes, J.F. (1958) Cousiniet, een nieuw uraanmineral. Geologie en Mijnbouw: 20: 449.

Fleischer, M. (1959) New mineral names. American Mineralogist: 44: 906-910.

Deliens, M. (1975) Une association de molybdates d'uranium de Shinkolobwe (région du Shaba, République du Zaïre). Annales de la Société Géologique de Belgique: 98: 155-160.

Deliens, M., Piret, P. (1976) Nouvelles sonnées sur une umohoite magnésienne de Shinkolobwe (région du Shaba, République du Zaïre). Annales de la Société Géologique de Belgique: 99: 205-209.

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

Localities for CousiniteHide

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.

DR Congo (TL)