Emmonsite
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About Emmonsite
Formula:
Fe3+2(TeO3)3 · 2H2O
Colour:
Yellowish-green; light yellow-green in transmitted light.
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
5
Specific Gravity:
4.52 - 4.55
Crystal System:
Triclinic
Name:
For American economic geologist, Samuel Franklin Emmons (1841-1911), U.S. Geological Survey.
This page provides mineralogical data about Emmonsite.
Classification of Emmonsite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
4/K.09-30
4.JM.10
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
J : Arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites; iodates
M : Tellurites without additional anions, with H2O
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
J : Arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites; iodates
M : Tellurites without additional anions, with H2O
34.3.3.1
34 : SELENITES, TELLURITES AND SULFITES
3 : A2(XO3)3·xH2O
34 : SELENITES, TELLURITES AND SULFITES
3 : A2(XO3)3·xH2O
28.3.21
28 : Selenites, Selenates, Tellurites, and Tellurates
3 : Tellurites
28 : Selenites, Selenates, Tellurites, and Tellurates
3 : Tellurites
Pronounciation of Emmonsite
Pronounciation:
Play | Recorded by | Country |
---|---|---|
Jolyon & Katya Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Emmonsite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Translucent
Colour:
Yellowish-green; light yellow-green in transmitted light.
Hardness:
5 on Mohs scale
Cleavage:
Perfect
On {010}, perfect plus 2 unequal cleavages inclined relative to it, making plane angles of 85° and 95° in {010}.
On {010}, perfect plus 2 unequal cleavages inclined relative to it, making plane angles of 85° and 95° in {010}.
Density:
4.52 - 4.55 g/cm3 (Measured) 4.719 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Emmonsite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.962 nβ = 2.090 nγ = 2.100 - 2.120
2V:
Measured: 23° , Calculated: 28° to 48°
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.138 - 2.120

Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
Very High
Dispersion:
relatively strong r > v
Pleochroism:
Weak
Chemical Properties of Emmonsite
Formula:
Fe3+2(TeO3)3 · 2H2O
IMA Formula:
Fe3+2(Te4+O3)3 · 2H2O
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Emmonsite
Crystal System:
Triclinic
Class (H-M):
1 - Pinacoidal
Space Group:
P1
Cell Parameters:
a = 7.90(1) Å, b = 8.00(1) Å, c = 7.62(1) Å
α = 96.73°, β = 95°, γ = 84.47°
α = 96.73°, β = 95°, γ = 84.47°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.988 : 1 : 0.953
Unit Cell V:
474.64 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2
Morphology:
Radially-configured or lichen-like groups of rough, acicular crystals; druses of thin scales; compact microcrystalline masses. Fibrous crusts with a small botryoidal surface to isolated globular aggregates.
Twinning:
Observed in microscopic crystals (Goldfield, Nevada).
Crystal Structure
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0015641 | Emmonsite | Pertlik F (1972) Der strukturtyp von emmonsit, {Fe2[TeO3]3*H2O}*xH2O (x=0-1) Tschermaks Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen 18 157-168 | 1972 | Tombstone, Arizona, USA | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
Geological Environment
Geological Setting:
Oxidized zones of tellurium-bearing ore bodies.
Type Occurrence of Emmonsite
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Emmonsite
Other Language Names for Emmonsite
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
14 photos of Emmonsite associated with Schmitterite | (UO2)(TeO3) |
8 photos of Emmonsite associated with Mackayite | Fe3+(Te4+2O5)(OH) |
6 photos of Emmonsite associated with Moctezumite | Pb(UO2)(TeO3)2 |
5 photos of Emmonsite associated with Sonoraite | Fe3+(TeO3)(OH) · H2O |
5 photos of Emmonsite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
3 photos of Emmonsite associated with Paratellurite | TeO2 |
3 photos of Emmonsite associated with Bromargyrite | AgBr |
2 photos of Emmonsite associated with Cuzticite | Fe3+2(TeO6) · 3H2O |
2 photos of Emmonsite associated with Poughite | Fe3+2(TeO3)2(SO4)(H2O)2 · H2O |
2 photos of Emmonsite associated with Winstanleyite | TiTe4+3O8 |
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping
4.JM.05 | Keystoneite | Mg0.5Ni2+Fe3+(Te4+O3)3 · 4.5H2O | Hex. |
4.JM.05 | Kinichilite | Mg0.5Mn2+Fe3+(Te4+O3)3 · 4.5H2O | Hex. 6/m : P63/m |
4.JM.05 | Zemannite | Mg0.5ZnFe3+(Te4+O3)3 · 4.5H2O | Hex. 6/m : P63/m |
4.JM.10 | Blakeite | Fe3+2[TeO3]3 (?) | |
4.JM.15 | Graemite | Cu[TeO3] · H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pmma |
4.JM.20 | Teineite | Cu2+(Te4+O3) · 2H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
Related Minerals - Hey's Chemical Index of Minerals Grouping
28.3.1 | Balyakinite | Cu(TeO3) | Orth. |
28.3.2 | Rajite | Cu(Te4+2O5) | Mon. 2/m : P21/b |
28.3.3 | Graemite | Cu[TeO3] · H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pmma |
28.3.4 | Teineite | Cu2+(Te4+O3) · 2H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
28.3.5 | Cesbronite | Cu2+3Te6+O4(OH)4 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Cmcm |
28.3.6 | Mroseite | CaTe4+(CO3)O2 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbca |
28.3.7 | Quetzalcoatlite | Zn6Cu3(TeO6)2(OH)6 · AgxPbyClx+2y | Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3m1 |
28.3.8 | Zemannite | Mg0.5ZnFe3+(Te4+O3)3 · 4.5H2O | Hex. 6/m : P63/m |
28.3.9 | Kinichilite | Mg0.5Mn2+Fe3+(Te4+O3)3 · 4.5H2O | Hex. 6/m : P63/m |
28.3.10 | Denningite | (Mn2+,Ca,Zn)Te4+2O5 | Tet. |
28.3.11 | Spiroffite | Mn2+2Te4+3O8 | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
28.3.12 | Winstanleyite | TiTe4+3O8 | Iso. m3 (2/m 3) : Ia3 |
28.3.13 | Fairbankite | Pb2+12(Te4+O3)11(SO4) | Tric. 1 : P1 |
28.3.14 | Plumbotellurite | Pb(TeO3) | Orth. |
28.3.15 | Choloalite | (Cu,Sb)3(Pb,Ca)3(TeO3)6Cl | Iso. 4 3 2 : P41 3 2 |
28.3.16 | Smirnite | Bi2Te4+O5 | Orth. mm2 |
28.3.17 | Chekhovichite | Bi2Te4+4O11 | Mon. 2/m |
28.3.18 | Cliffordite | (UO2)Te4+3O7 | Iso. m3 (2/m 3) : Pa3 |
28.3.19 | Schmitterite | (UO2)(TeO3) | Orth. |
28.3.20 | Moctezumite | Pb(UO2)(TeO3)2 | Mon. |
28.3.22 | Blakeite | Fe3+2[TeO3]3 (?) | |
28.3.23 | Mackayite | Fe3+(Te4+2O5)(OH) | Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I41/acd |
28.3.24 | Poughite | Fe3+2(TeO3)2(SO4)(H2O)2 · H2O | Orth. |
28.3.25 | Sonoraite | Fe3+(TeO3)(OH) · H2O | Mon. |
28.3.26 | Rodalquilarite | Fe2(TeO2OH)3(TeO3)Cl | Tric. 1 : P1 |
28.3.27 | Eztlite | Pb2+2Fe3+3(Te4+ O3)3(SO4)O2Cl | Mon. m : Bm |
28.3.28 | Keystoneite | Mg0.5Ni2+Fe3+(Te4+O3)3 · 4.5H2O | Hex. |
Other Information
Notes:
Readily soluble in strong acids.
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 Emmonsite
Reference List:
Sort by Year (asc) | by Year (desc) | by Author (A-Z) | by Author (Z-A)
Hillebrand, W.F. (1885), Emmonsite, a ferric tellurite, Proceedings Colorado Sci. Soc.: 2: 20-23.
Dana and Wells (1890) American Journal of Science: 40: 78 (as Durdenite).
Schaller in: Hillebrand (1904) American Journal of Science: 18: 433
Larsen, E.S. (1921) The Microscopic Determination of the Nonopaque Minerals, First edition, USGS Bulletin 679: 71.
Larsen, E.S. and Berman, H. (1934) The Microscopic Determination of the Nonopaque Minerals, Second edition, USGS Bulletin 848: 208.
Frondel, C. & F.H. Pough (1944): Two new tellurites of iron: Mackayite and blakeite, with new data on emmonsite and durdenite. American Mineralogist: 29: 211-225.
Mineralogical Record: 3: 82-84.
Proceedings of the Colorado Scientific Society: 2: 20-23.
Proceedings of the Colorado Scientific Society: 2: 45-46.
Tschermaks Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen: 18: 3, 157-168.
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.: 640-641.
Internet Links for Emmonsite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-1377.html
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Localities for Emmonsite
Locality List




All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Australia | |
| http://www.portergeo.com.au/database/mineinfo.asp?mineid=mn082 / Spencer, L.J. (1903), Mineralogical Notes on Western Australian Tellurdies, Feb 1903, 13, pp268-290 |
Simpson, E.S. (1948), Minerals of Western Australia, Vol 2, pp 231, 1948 | |
Simpson, E.S. (1948), Minerals of Western Australia, Vol 2, pp 231, 1948 | |
Chile | |
| Llaumet C./Henríquez F. (1976); "Faja de mineralización de oro, plata, cobre y arsenico en la Cordillera Andina de la III y IV región"; Primero Congreso Geológico Chileno, Vol. II. |
| [AmMin 85:1324]; http://www.lrz-muenchen.de/~mineralogische-sammlungen-dmg/analysen/winstanleyit.htm; Back, M.E., Grice, J.D., Gault, R.A., Criddle, A.J. & Mandarino, J.A. (1999): Walfordite, a new tellurite from the Wendy open pit, El Indio - Tambo mining property, Chile. Canadian Mineralogist 37, 1261-1268.; Cooper, M. A., Hawthorne, F. C., Abdu, Y. A., Walford, P. C., & Back, M. E. (2019). Relative humidity as a driver of structural change in three new ferric-sulfate-tellurite hydrates: New minerals tamboite and metatamboite, and a lower-hydrate derivative, possibly involving direct uptake of atmospheric {H2O} 4 clusters. The Canadian Mineralogist, 57(5), 605-635. |
China | |
| Jiuling Li, Makovicky, E., Rose Hansen, J., Petersen, S.B., Feng Qi, Yanhe Cui, and Qingsheng Xu (2001): Geoscience 15(2), 189-196 |
Honduras | |
| Dana and Wells (1890) American Journal of Science: 40: 78; 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.: 641. |
Japan | |
| 島倉広至, 三浦貴生, 浜根大輔, 松枝大治, & 三浦裕行. (2015). 北海道手稲鉱山産 Te, Bi, As 鉱物. 北海道大学地球物理学研究報告, 78, 19-35. |
| Matsubara, S. (2002) The Mineral Species of Japan, 5th edition (Kobutsu Joho); Dr. Yohachiro Okamoto collection (conserved by the Geological Survey of Japan) |
Mexico | |
| |
Lapis 2001(1), 11-40 | |
Panczner, W.D. (1987) Minerals of Mexico. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York, 459 pages. | |
Lapis 2001(1), 11-40 | |
Lapis 2001(1), 11-40 | |
Spain | |
| Navarro, A., & Cardellach, E. (2009). Mobilization of Ag, heavy metals and Eu from the waste deposit of the Las Herrerias mine (Almería, SE Spain). Environmental geology, 56(7), 1389-1404. |
| Sierra Lopez, J., Leal, G., Pierrot, R., Laurent, Y., Protas, J., Dusausoy, Y. (1968) La rodalquilarite, chlorotelurite de fer, une nouvelle espece minerale. Bulletin de la Société Française de Minéralogie et Cristalographie, 91, 28-33. |
USA | |
| Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 232. |
www.azminerals.com | |
Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 171; Williams, S.A. (1981a), Choloalite, CuPb(TeO3)2·H2O, a new mineral, Mineralogical Magazine: 44: 55-57. | |
Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 356, 375. | |
Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 212, 389-390; Hillebrand, W.F. (1885), Emmonsite, a ferric tellurite, Proceedings Colorado Sci. Soc.: 2: 20-23; Williams, S.A. (1981b), Duhamelite, Cu4Pb2Bi(VO4)4(OH)3·8H2O, a new Arizona mineral, Mineralogical Magazine: 44: 151-152; Galbraith, F.W. & D.J. Brennan (1959), Minerals of AZ: 67. | |
Hillebrand, W.F. (1885), Emmonsite, a ferric tellurite, Proceedings Colorado Sci. Soc.: 2: 20-23; 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: 641; Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 232. | |
| Robert PECORINI collection |
Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 212, 281; Bideaux, R.A., et al (1960), Some new occurrences of minerals of Arizona, AZ Geol. Soc. Digest: 3: 53-56. | |
| Larsen, Esper Signius (1917), Durdenite from California: American Mineralogist: 2: 45-46; Larsen, Esper Signius (1921), The microscopic determination of nonopaque minerals: USGS Bulletin 679, 294 pp.: 71; Murdoch, Joseph & Robert W. Webb (1966), Minerals of California, Centennial Volume (1866-1966): California Division Mines & Geology Bulletin 189: 174; Pemberton, H. Earl (1983), Minerals of California; Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 303. |
| 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: 641; O'Donoghue (1976) "Encyclopedia of Minerals & Gemstones", 286. |
Min Rec 36:2 pp143-185 | |
Min Rec 36:2 pp143-185 | |
Min Rec 36:2 pp143-185; USGS Professional Paper 54 | |
| NBMG Spec. Pub. 31 Minerals of Nevada |
NBMG Spec. Pub. 31 Minerals of Nevada | |
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: 641. | |
| NBMG Spec. Pub. 31 Minerals of Nevada |
NBMG Spec. Pub. 31 Minerals of Nevada | |
Rocks & Minerals, Nov. 1999 | |
NBMG Spec. Pub. 31 Minerals of Nevada | |
| NBMG Spec. Pub. 31 Minerals of Nevada |
| Northrop, Minerals of New Mexico, 3rd Rev. Ed., 1996 |
| 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: 641; Mineralogical Record: 3(2): 82. |
Northrop, Minerals of New Mexico, 3rd Rev. Ed., 1996 | |
Minerals of New Mexico 3rd ed. | |
| SDSMT Bull 18 Roberts and Rapp "Mineralogy of the Black Hills" |
| R&M 75:3 pp 156-169 |
| Collected and analyzed by John Dagenais |
| XRD analyzed by Dr. Rob Bowell. |
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