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Gunterite

A valid IMA mineral species

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Mickey E. Gunter

Formula:

Na₄Ca(V₁₀O₂₈) · 20H₂O

the original formula, Na₄(H₂O)₁₆(H₂V₁₀O₂₈)•6H₂O, was revised and changed in 2021 (Newsletter #61, proposal 21-B)

Colour:

Orange-yellow

Lustre:

Sub-Adamantine

Hardness:

Specific Gravity:

2.398 (Calculated)

Crystal System:

Monoclinic

Name:

Named in honor of Dr. Mickey Eugene Gunter (b. 1953), Professor of Mineralogy at the University of Idaho. Professor Gunter is particularly well known for his studies in optical mineralogy and the mineralogy of asbestos minerals.

Type Locality:

ⓘ West Sunday Mine, Slick Rock Mining District, San Miguel County, Colorado, USA

This page provides mineralogical data about Gunterite.

Hide all sections | Show all sections

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

42440

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:42440:0

GUID
(UUID V4):

dc2b7f44-e9af-4197-8afd-5ddec2217bff

IMA Classification of GunteriteHide

IMA status:

Approved

IMA status notes:

Redefined by the IMA

IMA Formula:

Na₄Ca[V₁₀O₂₈] · 20H₂O

Approval year:

2011

First published:

2011

Approval history:

The original formula, Na4(H2O)16(H2V10O28)•6H2O, was revised and changed in 2021 (CNMNC Newsletter #61, proposal 21-B).

Classification of GunteriteHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

4.HC.35

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
H : V[5,6] Vanadates
C : [6]-Sorovanadates

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
Gun	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 GunteriteHide

Lustre:

Sub-Adamantine

Transparency:

Transparent, Translucent

Colour:

Orange-yellow

Streak:

Yellow

Hardness:

1 on Mohs scale

Tenacity:

Brittle

Cleavage:

None Observed

Parting:

none

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Density:

2.398 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Optical Data of GunteriteHide

Type:

Biaxial (+)

RI values:

n_α = 1.735(5) n_β = 1.770(5) n_γ = 1.825(5)

2V:

Measured: 78°

Max Birefringence:

δ = 0.090

Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.

Surface Relief:

Very High

Dispersion:

v < r, strong, parallel

Optical Extinction:

X = b, Y ≈ c.

Pleochroism:

Visible

Comments:

X = yellow; Y = orange; Z yellow.

Comments:

γ calculated (index fluids decomposed mineral)

Absorption: Y > X > Z.

Chemistry of GunteriteHide

Mindat Formula:

Na₄Ca(V₁₀O₂₈) · 20H₂O

the original formula, Na₄(H₂O)₁₆(H₂V₁₀O₂₈)•6H₂O, was revised and changed in 2021 (Newsletter #61, proposal 21-B)

Elements listed:

Ca, H, Na, O, V - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of GunteriteHide

Crystal System:

Monoclinic

Class (H-M):

2/m - Prismatic

Space Group:

B2/m

Setting:

C2/m

Cell Parameters:

a = 19.848(2) Å, b = 10.1889(11) Å, c = 13.1184(15) Å
β = 130.187(9)°

Ratio:

a:b:c = 1.948 : 1 : 1.288

Unit Cell V:

2,026.68 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Crystal StructureHide

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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)
0018627	Gunterite	Kampf A R, Hughes J M, Marty J, Nash B (2011) Gunterite, Na4(H2O)16(H2V10O28)6H2O, a new mineral species with a doubly-protonated decavanadate polyanion: crystal structure and descriptive mineralogy* The Canadian Mineralogist 49 1243-1251		2011	West Sunday mine, San Miguel County, Colorado, USA	0	293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Gunterite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Kampf A R'
'Hughes J M'
'Marty J'
'Nash B'
_journal_name_full 'The Canadian Mineralogist'
_journal_volume 49 
_journal_year 2011
_journal_page_first 1243
_journal_page_last 1251
_publ_section_title
;
 Gunterite, Na4(H2O)16(H2V10O28)*6H2O, a new mineral species
 with a doubly-protonated decavanadate polyanion:
 crystal structure and descriptive mineralogy
;
_database_code_amcsd 0018627
_chemical_compound_source 'West Sunday mine, San Miguel County, Colorado, USA'
_chemical_formula_sum 'Na1.56 Ca.44 V5 O25 H22'
_cell_length_a 19.848
_cell_length_b 10.1889
_cell_length_c 13.1184
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 130.187
_cell_angle_gamma 90
_cell_volume 2026.682
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      2.394
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'C 1 2/m 1'
loop_
_space_group_symop_operation_xyz
  'x,y,z'
  '1/2+x,1/2+y,z'
  'x,-y,z'
  '1/2+x,1/2-y,z'
  '-x,y,-z'
  '1/2-x,1/2+y,-z'
  '-x,-y,-z'
  '1/2-x,1/2-y,-z'
loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
_atom_site_occupancy
_atom_site_U_iso_or_equiv
Na1   0.31340   0.50000   0.04010   1.00000   0.06600
Na2   0.62300   0.50000   0.34400   0.56000   0.05600
Ca2   0.66930   0.50000   0.41300   0.44000   0.05200
V1   0.00000   0.33860   0.50000   1.00000   0.03370
V2   0.93435   0.50000   0.62850   1.00000   0.03680
V3   0.82092   0.50000   0.32230   1.00000   0.03670
V4   0.88655   0.34890   0.19510   1.00000   0.03920
O1   0.73380   0.50000   0.30920   1.00000   0.04500
O2   0.84540   0.50000   0.60880   1.00000   0.04600
O3   0.94940   0.23690   0.36440   1.00000   0.03700
O4   0.84770   0.50000   0.09400   1.00000   0.03900
O5   0.05040   0.50000   0.63370   1.00000   0.03300
O6   0.89770   0.62220   0.48110   1.00000   0.03300
O7   0.99950   0.63170   0.74890   1.00000   0.04100
O8   0.84910   0.23040   0.08910   1.00000   0.04800
O9   0.79910   0.36850   0.21020   1.00000   0.03700
OW1   0.41610   0.50000   0.00500   1.00000   0.07300
OW2   0.32110   0.50000   0.23690   1.00000   0.09900
OW3   0.56510   0.66500   0.20310   1.00000   0.10800
OW4   0.70110   0.67730   0.53260   1.00000   0.08400
OW5   0.52700   0.50000   0.37600   1.00000   0.22300
OW6   0.66930   0.19470   0.16830   1.00000   0.08900
OW7   0.58300   0.00000   0.02600   1.00000   0.18300
OW8   0.76000   0.50000   0.68400   1.00000   0.13400
H1A   0.39850   0.43920   0.02750   1.00000   2.00000
H2A   0.38330   0.50000   0.25300   1.00000   0.11900
H2B   0.37240   0.50000   0.32860   1.00000   0.11900
H3A   0.61070   0.68360   0.27630   1.00000   0.12900
H3B   0.54090   0.73020   0.20240   1.00000   0.12900
H4A   0.70650   0.64720   0.60030   1.00000   0.04000
H4B   0.66340   0.72690   0.53180   1.00000   0.13000
H5   0.50690   0.42890   0.37730   1.00000   0.40000
H6A   0.64330   0.27060   0.12870   1.00000   0.13000
H6B   0.72300   0.21300   0.19520   1.00000   0.27000
H7A   0.55820   0.00000  -0.05970   1.00000   0.01000
H7B   0.52590   0.00000  -0.00780   1.00000   0.07000
H8A   0.80000   0.50000   0.67000   1.00000   2.00000
H8B   0.71000   0.50000   0.60000   1.00000   2.00000
loop_
_atom_site_aniso_label
_atom_site_aniso_U_11
_atom_site_aniso_U_22
_atom_site_aniso_U_33
_atom_site_aniso_U_12
_atom_site_aniso_U_13
_atom_site_aniso_U_23
Na1 0.05900 0.04700 0.09800 0.00000 0.05300 0.00000
Na2 0.04500 0.04400 0.09000 0.00000 0.04600 0.00000
Ca2 0.04500 0.04400 0.08300 0.00000 0.04800 0.00000
V1 0.03030 0.02800 0.04900 0.00000 0.02840 0.00000
V2 0.03100 0.03550 0.05100 0.00000 0.02970 0.00000
V3 0.02890 0.03550 0.05100 0.00000 0.02800 0.00000
V4 0.03610 0.03390 0.05040 -0.00100 0.02910 -0.00230
O1 0.03300 0.04700 0.05500 0.00000 0.02900 0.00000
O2 0.04200 0.04900 0.06100 0.00000 0.04000 0.00000
O3 0.03500 0.03300 0.05000 -0.00300 0.03000 -0.00300
O4 0.04100 0.02700 0.04900 0.00000 0.02900 0.00000
O5 0.03100 0.02900 0.04900 0.00000 0.03000 0.00000
O6 0.02900 0.02700 0.05000 0.00100 0.02800 -0.00100
O7 0.03800 0.03300 0.05700 -0.00100 0.03300 -0.00400
O8 0.04800 0.03600 0.06100 -0.00400 0.03500 -0.00900
O9 0.03300 0.03600 0.04900 -0.00200 0.02900 -0.00400
OW1 0.06200 0.06500 0.09200 0.00000 0.05000 0.00000
OW2 0.10700 0.10200 0.10000 0.00000 0.07200 0.00000
OW3 0.13300 0.04900 0.21500 -0.00600 0.14600 -0.02500
OW4 0.08200 0.07000 0.12600 0.02500 0.07900 0.01400
OW5 0.32000 0.05600 0.56000 0.00000 0.41000 0.00000
OW6 0.09100 0.08500 0.10900 0.00900 0.07400 0.01500
OW7 0.37000 0.09300 0.14000 0.00000 0.19000 0.00000
OW8 0.16600 0.10400 0.19000 0.00000 0.14000 0.00000

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
10.01 Å	(100)
8.44 Å	(72)
8.09 Å	(46)
2.997 Å	(29)

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event	<2.4
47a : [Near-surface hydration of prior minerals]
47e : [Vanadates, chromates, manganates]
Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals	<10 Ka
55 : Anthropogenic mine minerals

Type Occurrence of GunteriteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ West Sunday Mine, Slick Rock Mining District, San Miguel County, Colorado, USA

General Appearance of Type Material:

Tabular on {001} and generally stacked into elongate curved multiple crystals up to 0.5 mm in maximum dimension. The crystals typically exhibit warping and, in some cases, skeletal growth features.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County under catalogue numbers 63506 and 63507.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

Efflorescences on the sandstone walls of the mine workings and in fractures in the sandstone forming from the oxidation of montroseite–corvusite assemblages.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Rossite

Huemulite

Synonyms of GunteriteHide

IMA2011-001

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

4.HC.	Beckettite	Ca₂V₆Al₆O₂₀	Tric. 1 : P1
4.HC.	Ammoniolasalite	(NH₄)₂Mg₂(H₂O)₂₀] [V₁₀O₂₈]	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
4.HC.	Protocaseyite	[Al₄(OH)₆(H₂O)₁₂][V₁₀O₂₈] · 8H₂O	Tric. 1 : P1
4.HC.05	Pascoite	Ca₂Ca(V₁₀O₂₈) · 17H₂O	Mon. 2 : B2
4.HC.05	Lasalite	Na₂Mg₂(V₁₀O₂₈) · 20H₂O	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
4.HC.05	Magnesiopascoite	Ca₂Mg(V₁₀O₂₈) · 16H₂O	Mon. 2/m : B2/m
4.HC.05	Rakovanite	(NH₄)₃Na₃(V₁₀O₂₈) · 12H₂O	Mon. 2/m
4.HC.05	Hughesite	Na₃Al(V₁₀O₂₈) · 22H₂O	Tric. 1 : P1
4.HC.05	Hydropascoite	Ca₃(V₁₀O₂₈) · 24H₂O	Tric. 1 : P1
4.HC.10	Hummerite	K₂Mg₂(V₁₀O₂₈) · 16H₂O	Tric. 1 : P1
4.HC.15	Sherwoodite	Ca_5.5(AlV⁴⁺V⁵⁺₁₂O₃₉) · 28H₂O	Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I4₁/amd
4.HC.20	Bluestreakite	K₄Mg₂(V⁴⁺₂V⁵⁺₈O₂₈) · 14H₂O	Mon. 2/m
4.HC.25	Wernerbaurite	{(NH₄)₂[Ca₂(H₂O)₁₄](H₂O)₂}{V₁₀O₂₈}	Tric. 1 : P1
4.HC.25	Burroite	Ca₂(NH₄)₂(V₁₀O₂₈) · 15H₂O	Tric. 1 : P1
4.HC.30	Caseyite	[(V⁵⁺O₂)Al_10-x(OH)_20-2x(H₂O)_18-2x]₂[H₂V⁴⁺V⁵⁺₉O₂₈][V⁵⁺₁₀O₂₈]₂(Na,K,Ca)_2-y(SO₄)_2-z · (60+8x+y+4z)H₂O (x = 0-2.5; y = 0-2; z = 0-2)	Mon.
4.HC.40	Kokinosite	Na₂Ca₂(V₁₀O₂₈) · 24H₂O	Tric. 1 : P1
4.HC.45	Nashite	Na₃Ca₂[(V⁵⁺₉V⁴⁺)O₂₈] · 24H₂O	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/m
4.HC.50	Okieite	Mg₃[V₁₀O₂₈] · 28H₂O	Tric. 1 : P1
4.HC.55	Postite	Mg(H₂O)₆Al₂(OH)₂(H₂O)₈(V₁₀O₂₈) · 13H₂O	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pccn
4.HC.60	Schindlerite	{(NH₄)₄Na₂(H₂O)₁₀}{V₁₀O₂₈}	Tric. 1 : P1

Fluorescence of GunteriteHide

In UV light:

Not fluorescent.

Other InformationHide

Notes:

Soluble in water at room temperature.

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 GunteriteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-42440.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

Look for Gunterite on Webmineral

Look for Gunterite on Wikipedia

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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 GunteriteHide

Reference List:

www.uidaho.edu (2011) http://www.uidaho.edu/sci/geology/newsandevents/geologynews/gunterite

Kampf, A. R., Hughes, J. M., Marty, J., Nash, B. (2011) Gunterite, Na₄(H₂O)₁₆(H₂V₁₀O₂₈)·6H₂O, a new mineral species with a doubly-protonated decavanadate polyanion: crystal structure and descriptive mineralogy. The Canadian Mineralogist, 49 (5) 1243-1251 doi:10.3749/canmin.49.5.1243

Williams, P. A., Hatert, F., Pasero, M., Mills, S. J. (2011) New minerals and nomenclature modifications approved in 2011. CNMNC Newsletter No 9. Mineralogical Magazine, 75 (4) 2535-2540 doi:10.1180/minmag.2011.075.4.2535

Miyawaki, Ritsuro, Hatert, Frédéric, Pasero, Marco, Mills, Stuart J. (2021) IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) – Newsletter 61. European Journal of Mineralogy, 33 (3) 299-304 doi:10.5194/ejm-33-299-2021

Kampf, Anthony R., Cooper, Mark A., Hawthorne, Frank C., Hughes, John M., Nash, Barbara P., Adams, Paul M. (2022) The redefinition of gunterite, Na4Ca[V10O28]·20H2O. The Canadian Mineralogist, 60 (2) 361-368 doi:10.3749/canmin.2100054

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

Localities for GunteriteHide

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.


USA
Colorado San Miguel County Slick Rock Mining District ⓘ Burro Mine	Kampf et al. (2019)
ⓘ Sunday Mine	www.handbookofmineralogy.org (2015)
ⓘ West Sunday Mine (TL)	Kampf et al. (2011) +1 other reference