Tantalite-(Mg)
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About Tantalite-(Mg)
Formula:
(Mg,Fe2+)(Ta,Nb)2O6
Colour:
Black
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
5½
Specific Gravity:
6.73
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Member of:
Name:
Named as the magnesium dominant member of the tantalite series.
Classification of Tantalite-(Mg)
Approved
Notes:
Renamed by the IMA
Approval Year:
2003
First Published:
2003
Approval History:
Approved by IMA in 2003 as a new species with the name magnesiotantalite (IMA 2002-018).
2007: Renamed by IMA as tantalite-(Mg), proposal IMA 07-C ( Burke 2008).
2007: Renamed by IMA as tantalite-(Mg), proposal IMA 07-C ( Burke 2008).
4/D.18-35
4.DB.35
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
D : Metal: Oxygen = 1:2 and similar
B : With medium-sized cations; chains of edge-sharing octahedra
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
D : Metal: Oxygen = 1:2 and similar
B : With medium-sized cations; chains of edge-sharing octahedra
Physical Properties of Tantalite-(Mg)
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Black
Streak:
Brownish red
Hardness:
5½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Density:
6.73 g/cm3 (Measured)
Chemical Properties of Tantalite-(Mg)
Formula:
(Mg,Fe2+)(Ta,Nb)2O6
IMA Formula:
MgTa2O6
Crystallography of Tantalite-(Mg)
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Cell Parameters:
a = 14.33 Å, b = 5.735 Å, c = 5.058 Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 2.499 : 1 : 0.882
Unit Cell V:
415.68 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing | Intensity |
---|---|
3.67 | (60) |
2.96 | (100) |
1.73 | (70) |
1.46 | (90) |
Occurrences of Tantalite-(Mg)
Paragenetic Mode(s):
• Granitic pegmatite
Type Occurrence of Tantalite-(Mg)
General Appearance of Type Material:
Alteration zones to a maximum thickness of about 0.5 mm formed between manganotantalite crystals and the host rock
Chemical Analysis of Type Material:
MgO | 5.27 % |
---|---|
FeO | 6.71 % |
MnO | 0.82 % |
TiiO2 | 0.38 % |
Nb2OS | 24.19 % |
Ta2O5 | 61.86 % |
Total: | 99.23 % |
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Andesite-calcite lenses in a zoned, metasomatically altered pegmatite vein hosted by serpentinite
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Reference:
Pekov, I. V., Yakubovich, O. V., Shcherbachev, D. K., Kononkova, N. N. (2003) Magnesiotantalite (Mg,Fe)(Ta,Nb)2O6, the new columbite-tantalite group mineral from desilicated granite pegmatites of Lipovka (the Central Urals) and its genesis. Zapiski Vserossijskogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva 132 (2): 49-60
Synonyms of Tantalite-(Mg)
Other Language Names for Tantalite-(Mg)
Relationship of Tantalite-(Mg) to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of this group:
Columbite-(Fe) | Fe2+Nb2O6 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
Columbite-(Mg) | (Mg,Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)2O6 | Orth. |
Columbite-(Mn) | Mn2+Nb2O6 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
Qitianlingite | (Fe,Mn)2(Nb,Ta)2WO10 | Orth. |
Tantalite-(Fe) | Fe2+Ta2O6 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
Tantalite-(Mn) | Mn2+Ta2O6 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
Tantalite-(Mn) | 2 photos of Tantalite-(Mg) associated with Tantalite-(Mn) on mindat.org. |
Microlite Group | 2 photos of Tantalite-(Mg) associated with Microlite Group on mindat.org. |
Calcite | 2 photos of Tantalite-(Mg) associated with Calcite on mindat.org. |
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping
4.DB.05 | Argutite | GeO2 | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : P42/mnm |
4.DB.05 | Cassiterite | SnO2 | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : P42/mnm |
4.DB.05 | Plattnerite | PbO2 | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) |
4.DB.05 | Pyrolusite | Mn4+O2 | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : P42/mnm |
4.DB.05 | Rutile | TiO2 | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : P42/mnm |
4.DB.05 | Tripuhyite | Fe3+Sb5+O4 | Tet. |
4.DB.05 | Tugarinovite | MoO2 | Mon. |
4.DB.05 | Varlamoffite | (Sn,Fe)(O,OH)2 | |
4.DB.10 | Byströmite | MgSb2O6 | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : P4/nmm |
4.DB.10 | Tapiolite-(Fe) | (Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)2O6 | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : P42/mnm |
4.DB.10 | Tapiolite-(Mn) | (Mn,Fe)(Ta,Nb)2O6 | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : P42/mnm |
4.DB.10 | Ordoñezite | ZnSb2O6 | Tet. |
4.DB.15b | Akhtenskite | ε-Mn4+O2 | Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P63/mmc |
4.DB.15c | Nsutite | (Mn4+,Mn2+)(O,OH)2 | Hex. |
4.DB.15a | Paramontroseite | V4+O2 | Orth. |
4.DB.15a | Ramsdellite | Mn4+O2 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
4.DB.20 | Scrutinyite | α-PbO2 | Orth. |
4.DB.25 | Ishikawaite | U4+Fe2+Nb2O8 | Mon. |
4.DB.25 | Ixiolite | (Ta,Nb,Sn,Fe,Mn)4O8 | Orth. |
4.DB.25 | Samarskite-(Y) | (Y,Fe3+,Fe2+,U,Th,Ca)2(Nb,Ta)2O8 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
4.DB.25 | Srilankite | ZrTi2O6 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
4.DB.25 | Yttrocolumbite-(Y) | Y(U4+,Fe2+)Nb2O8 | |
4.DB.25 | Calciosamarskite | (Ca,Fe3+,Y)2(Nb,Ta,Ti)2O8 | Mon. |
4.DB.25 | Samarskite-(Yb) | (Yb,Y,Fe3+,Fe2+,U,Th,Ca)2(Nb,Ta)2O8 | Mon. 2/m : P2/b |
4.DB.30 | Ferberite | FeWO4 | Mon. 2/m : P2/b |
4.DB.30 | Hübnerite | MnWO4 | Mon. 2/m : P2/b |
4.DB.30 | Sanmartinite | (Zn,Fe)WO4 | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
4.DB.30 | Krasnoselskite | CoWO4 | Mon. |
4.DB.30 | Heftetjernite | ScTaO4 | Mon. 2/m |
4.DB.30 | Huanzalaite | MgWO4 | Mon. 2/m : P2/b |
4.DB.35 | Columbite-(Fe) | Fe2+Nb2O6 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
4.DB.35 | Tantalite-(Fe) | Fe2+Ta2O6 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
4.DB.35 | Columbite-(Mn) | Mn2+Nb2O6 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
4.DB.35 | Tantalite-(Mn) | Mn2+Ta2O6 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
4.DB.35 | Columbite-(Mg) | (Mg,Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)2O6 | Orth. |
4.DB.35 | Qitianlingite | (Fe,Mn)2(Nb,Ta)2WO10 | Orth. |
4.DB.35 | Magnocolumbite | (Mg,Fe,Mn)(Nb,Ta)2O6 | |
4.DB.40 | Ferrowodginite | Fe2+Sn4+Ta2O8 | Mon. |
4.DB.40 | Lithiotantite | LiTa3O8 | Mon. |
4.DB.40 | Lithiowodginite | LiTa3O8 | Mon. |
4.DB.40 | Titanowodginite | Mn2+TiTa2O8 | Mon. |
4.DB.40 | Wodginite | Mn2+Sn4+Ta2O8 | Mon. |
4.DB.40 | Ferrotitanowodginite | Fe2+TiTa2O8 | Mon. |
4.DB.40 | Wolframowodginite | Mn(Mn,Sn,Fe,Ta)(W,Ta,Nb)2O8 | |
4.DB.45 | Tivanite | V3+TiO3(OH) | Mon. |
4.DB.50 | Carmichaelite | (Ti,Cr,Fe)[O2-x(OH)x] | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
4.DB.55 | Alumotantite | AlTaO4 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcn |
4.DB.60 | Biehlite | ((Sb,As)O)2[MoO4] | Mon. |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
References for Tantalite-(Mg)
Reference List:
Sort by Year (asc) | by Year (desc) | by Author (A-Z) | by Author (Z-A)
Pekov, I. V., Yakubovich, O. V., Shcherbachev, D. K., Kononkova, N. N. (2003) Magnesiotantalite (Mg,Fe)(Ta,Nb)2O6, the new columbite-tantalite group mineral from desilicated granite pegmatites of Lipovka (the Central Urals) and its genesis. Zapiski Vserossijskogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva 132 (2): 49-60 (in Russian).
Burke, E. A. J. (2008) Tidying up mineral names: an IMA-CNMNC scheme for suffixes, hyphens and diacritical marks. The Mineralogical Record 39: 131-135
Internet Links for Tantalite-(Mg)
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-11465.html
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External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
Localities for Tantalite-(Mg)
Locality List




All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Russia (TL) | |
| Pekov, I. V., Yakubovich, O. V., Shcherbachev, D. K., Kononkova, N. N. (2003) Magnesiotantalite (Mg,Fe)(Ta,Nb)2O6, the new columbite-tantalite group mineral from desilicated granite pegmatites of Lipovka (the Central Urals) and its genesis. Zapiski Vserossijskogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva 132 (2): 49-60; Igor.V. Pekov, Lyudmila R. Memetova (2008) Minerals of the Lipovka Granite Pegmatites, Central Urals, Russia. Mineralogical Almanac 13:6-45 |
Sri Lanka | |
| Ceylon Aluvial Mine, (Book, Co. 2002) |
Lipovka Mine, Lipovsk pegmatite field, Rezh District, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia