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Mojaveite

A valid IMA mineral species

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Photos of Mojaveite (20)

Mojaveite Gallery Search Photos of Mojaveite

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Mojaveite, etc.

Ridge Ledge prospect, Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Mojaveite

Bird Nest drift, Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Mojaveite

E-Site, Blue Bell Mine, Zzyzx, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Mojaveite, etc.

Ridge Ledge prospect, Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Mojaveite

Bird Nest drift, Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Mojaveite

E-Site, Blue Bell Mine, Zzyzx, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Mojaveite, etc.

Ridge Ledge prospect, Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Mojaveite

Bird Nest drift, Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA

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About MojaveiteHide

Formula:

Cu₆[Te⁶⁺O₄(OH)₂](OH)₇Cl

Colour:

Greenish-blue; sky blue to medium greenish

Lustre:

Adamantine, Pearly, Dull

Hardness:

Specific Gravity:

4.886 (Calculated)

Crystal System:

Trigonal

Name:

Named for the Mohave desert in which the type locality is found.

Co-Type Localities:

ⓘ Aga Mine, Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA
ⓘ Bird Nest drift, Otto Mountain, Baker, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA
ⓘ Blue Bell Mine, Zzyzx, Soda Mountains, Silver Lake Mining District, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Structurally related to bluebellite (IMA 2013-121). Second Cu-Te-O-H-Cl mineral after tlalocite.

The structure is based on Cu₆MX₁₄ brucite-like layers, with M and X in mojaveite being Te and (O,OH,Cl), respectively.

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

46069

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:46069:7

GUID
(UUID V4):

333c74c3-225c-44d3-934a-b41cd4158b90

IMA Classification of MojaveiteHide

IMA status:

Approved

Approval year:

2013

Classification of MojaveiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

7.BB.80

7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
B : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) with additional anions, without H₂O
B : With medium-sized cations

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

Pronunciation of MojaveiteHide

Pronunciation:

Play	Recorded by	Country
	Jolyon Ralph	United Kingdom

Physical Properties of MojaveiteHide

Lustre:

Adamantine, Pearly, Dull

Comment:

May be adamantine, pearly or dull

Colour:

Greenish-blue; sky blue to medium greenish

Streak:

Pale greenish blue

Hardness:

1 on Mohs scale

Comment:

Tenacity:

Sectile

Cleavage:

Perfect
on {001}

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Density:

4.886 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Comment:

Based on the empirical formulae and unit-cell dimensions

Optical Data of MojaveiteHide

Type:

Uniaxial (-)

Pleochroism:

Visible

Comments:

O (greenish blue) >> E (light greenish blue).

Comments:

n=1.95 from Gladstone-Dale relationship (n value couldn't be measured directly)

Chemistry of MojaveiteHide

Mindat Formula:

Cu₆[Te⁶⁺O₄(OH)₂](OH)₇Cl

Elements listed:

Cl, Cu, H, O, Te - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Common Impurities:

Crystallography of MojaveiteHide

Crystal System:

Trigonal

Class (H-M):

3 - Pyramidal

Space Group:

Setting:

Cell Parameters:

a = 8.316(2) Å, c = 13.202(6) Å

Ratio:

a:c = 1 : 1.588

Unit Cell V:

790.7 Å³

Morphology:

Irregular aggregates of plates flattened on {001}, often curved, which rarely show a hexagonal outline, and also occurs as compact balls, from sky blue to medium greenish blue in colour. Aggregates and balls are up to 0.5 mm in size.

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)
0020532	Mojaveite	Mills S J, Kampf A R, Christy A G, Housley R M, Rossman G R, Reynolds R E, Marty J (2014) Bluebellite and mojaveite, two new minerals from the central Mojave Desert, California, USA Mineralogical Magazine 78 1325-1340		2014	Blue Bell claims, San Bernardino County, California, USA	0	293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Mojaveite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Mills S J'
'Kampf A R'
'Christy A G'
'Housley R M'
'Rossman G R'
'Reynolds R E'
'Marty J'
_journal_name_full 'Mineralogical Magazine'
_journal_volume 78 
_journal_year 2014
_journal_page_first 1325
_journal_page_last 1340
_publ_section_title
;
 Bluebellite and mojaveite, two new minerals from the
 central Mojave Desert, California, USA
;
_database_code_amcsd 0020532
_chemical_compound_source 'Blue Bell claims, San Bernardino County, California, USA'
_chemical_formula_sum 'Cu6 Te O13 Cl H9'
_cell_length_a 8.316
_cell_length_b 8.316
_cell_length_c 13.202
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
_cell_angle_gamma 120
_cell_volume 790.677
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      4.797
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'R 3'
loop_
_space_group_symop_operation_xyz
  'x,y,z'
  '2/3+x,1/3+y,1/3+z'
  '1/3+x,2/3+y,2/3+z'
  '-y,x-y,z'
  '2/3-y,1/3+x-y,1/3+z'
  '1/3-y,2/3+x-y,2/3+z'
  '-x+y,-x,z'
  '2/3-x+y,1/3-x,1/3+z'
  '1/3-x+y,2/3-x,2/3+z'
loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
_atom_site_occupancy
Cu1   0.29300   0.40100   0.96500   1.00000
Cu2   0.70300   0.58000   0.00100   1.00000
Te   0.00000   0.00000   0.00000   1.00000
O1   0.12200   0.48600   0.92000   1.00000
O2   0.66667   0.33333   0.95900   1.00000
O3   0.19300   0.10100   0.91600   1.00000
O4   0.46500   0.38900   0.06500   1.00000
O5   0.06500   0.24200   0.08300   1.00000
Cl   0.33333   0.66667   0.07400   1.00000
H1   0.18300   0.53000   0.84700   1.00000
H2   0.66667   0.33333   0.88000   1.00000
H3   0.12700   0.29300   0.15300   0.66667
H4   0.43600   0.38200   0.13900   1.00000

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
4.403 Å	(91)
2.672 Å	(28)
2.512 Å	(100)
2.110 Å	(27)
1.889 Å	(34)
1.570 Å	(39)
1.481 Å	(34)
1.338 Å	(14)

Comments:

very similar to bluebellite

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]
47g : [Halogen-bearing surface weathering minerals]
Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals	<10 Ka
55 : Anthropogenic mine minerals

Type Occurrence of MojaveiteHide

Co-Type Localities:

General Appearance of Type Material:

Mojaveite occurs as greenish-blue plates flattened on {001}, which rarely show a hexagonal outline

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

Cotype material is deposited in the collections of the Mineral Sciences Department, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA, catalogue numbers 64091 and 64092 (Blue Bell claims) and 64093

Geological Setting of Type Material:

Formed from the decomposition of the primary minerals hessite and chalcopyrite under mildly acidic conditions.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Wulfenite	Timroseite	Thorneite	Quartz	Perite
Paratimroseite	Mcalpineite	Khinite	Kettnerite	Hemimorphite
Goethite	Galena	Chrysocolla	Chlorargyrite	Cerussite
Burckhardtite	Andradite

Synonyms of MojaveiteHide

IMA2013-120

Common AssociatesHide

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:

2 photos of Mojaveite associated with Khinite	Pb²⁺Cu²⁺₃[Te⁶⁺O₆](OH)₂
2 photos of Mojaveite associated with Chrysocolla	Cu_2-xAl_x(H_2-xSi₂O₅)(OH)₄ · nH₂O, x < 1
2 photos of Mojaveite associated with Kettnerite	CaBiCO₃OF
2 photos of Mojaveite associated with Quartz	SiO₂
2 photos of Mojaveite associated with Timroseite	Pb₂Cu₅(TeO₆)₂(OH)₂
1 photo of Mojaveite associated with Goethite	α-Fe³⁺O(OH)
1 photo of Mojaveite associated with Hemimorphite	Zn₄Si₂O₇(OH)₂ · H₂O
1 photo of Mojaveite associated with Cerussite	PbCO₃
1 photo of Mojaveite associated with Mcalpineite	Cu₃(Te⁶⁺O₆)
1 photo of Mojaveite associated with Wulfenite	Pb(MoO₄)

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

7.BB.	Brumadoite	Cu₃(Te⁶⁺O₄)(OH)₄ · 5H₂O	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/m
7.BB.	Iskandarovite	Sb₆O₇(SO₄)₂	Orth. mm2 : Ccc2
7.BB.	Novikovite	(NH₄)₄Mo⁶⁺₂Mo⁵⁺₂O₈(SO₄)₅	Mon. 2/m
7.BB.10	Hauckite	Fe³⁺₃(Mg,Mn²⁺)₂₄Zn₁₈(SO₄)₄(CO₃)₂(OH)₈₁	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mmm
7.BB.15	Antlerite	Cu₃(SO₄)(OH)₄	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
7.BB.20	Dolerophanite	Cu₂(SO₄)O	Mon. 2/m : B2/m
7.BB.25	Brochantite	Cu₄(SO₄)(OH)₆	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
7.BB.25	Ramaccioniite	Cu₄[SeO₄](OH)₆	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
7.BB.30	Vergasovaite	Cu₃(SO₄)(MoO₄,SO₄)O	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
7.BB.30	Cupromolybdite	Cu₃O(MoO₄)₂	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
7.BB.35	Klebelsbergite	Sb₄O₄(SO₄)(OH)₂	Orth. mm2
7.BB.35	Tavagnascoite	Bi₄O₄(SO₄)(OH)₂	Orth. mm2 : Pca2₁
7.BB.40	Schuetteite	Hg²⁺₃(SO₄)O₂	Trig. 3 2 : P3₁ 2 1
7.BB.45	Paraotwayite	Ni(OH)_2-x(SO₄,CO₃)_0.5x	Mon.
7.BB.50	Xocomecatlite	Cu₃(TeO₄)(OH)₄	Orth.
7.BB.55	Pauflerite	(V⁴⁺O)SO₄	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
7.BB.60	Grandviewite	Cu₃Al₂(SO₄)(OH)₁₀ · H₂O	Tric. 1 : P1
7.BB.65	Timroseite	Pb₂Cu₅(TeO₆)₂(OH)₂	Orth. mm2 : Pmn2₁
7.BB.70	Glikinite	Zn₃O(SO₄)₂	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/m
7.BB.85	Paratimroseite	Pb₂Cu₄(TeO₆)₂(H₂O)₂	Orth. 2 2 2 : P2₁ 2₁ 2₁

Fluorescence of MojaveiteHide

In UV light:

Non-fluorescent

Other InformationHide

Notes:

Raman bands [cm^-1]: 694, 654 (poorly resolved); 624, 611, 254

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 MojaveiteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-46069.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

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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 MojaveiteHide

Reference List:

Williams, P. A., Hatert, F., Pasero, M., Mills, S. J. (2014) New minerals and nomenclature modifications approved in 2014, CNMNC Newsletter No 20. Mineralogical Magazine, 78 (3) 549-558 doi:10.1180/minmag.2014.078.3.05

Mills, S. J., Kampf, A. R., Christy, A. G., Housley, R. M., Rossman, G. R., Reynolds, R. E., Marty, J. (2014) Bluebellite and mojaveite, two new minerals from the central Mojave Desert, California, USA. Mineralogical Magazine, 78 (5) 1325-1340 doi:10.1180/minmag.2014.078.5.15

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

Localities for MojaveiteHide

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
Arizona Cochise County Tombstone Mining District Silver Plume Mine ⓘ Emerald Mine	Marek Chorazewicz (2022)
California Mono County Bodie Hills Masonic Mining District New York Hill ⓘ Pittsburg-Liberty Mine (Pittsburg claim; Pittsburg No. 2 claim; Liberty claim; Liberty No. 2 claim)	MarekC pers. coll. 2017
San Bernardino County Silver Lake Mining District Soda Mountains Baker Otto Mountain ⓘ Aga Mine (TL)	Williams et al. (2014) +1 other reference
ⓘ Aga Pit	Marek Chorazewicz (2019)
ⓘ Bird Nest drift (TL)	Williams et al. (2014) +2 other references
ⓘ Bird Nest E3	Thorne (n.d.)
ⓘ Library Mine	Thorne (n.d.)
ⓘ NE2 vein	Housley R.
ⓘ Ridge Ledge prospect	Thorne (n.d.)
ⓘ SW cut	Thorne (n.d.)
Zzyzx ⓘ Blue Bell Mine (TL)	Williams et al. (2014) +3 other references
ⓘ E-Site	Collected by and in the collection of ...
ⓘ Upper D-Site	Thorne (n.d.)
Nevada Lincoln County Delamar Mining District Delamar Mine ⓘ Mine dump	Kampf et al. (2022)
Utah Juab County Tintic Mining District Mammoth North Star Mine (Star Consolidated Mine) ⓘ Upper dumps	MarekC (2019)

Mojaveite

About MojaveiteHide

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of MojaveiteHide

Classification of MojaveiteHide

Mineral SymbolsHide

Pronunciation of MojaveiteHide

Physical Properties of MojaveiteHide

Optical Data of MojaveiteHide

Chemistry of MojaveiteHide

Crystallography of MojaveiteHide

Crystal StructureHide

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Type Occurrence of MojaveiteHide

Synonyms of MojaveiteHide

Common AssociatesHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

Fluorescence of MojaveiteHide

Other InformationHide

Internet Links for MojaveiteHide

References for MojaveiteHide

Localities for MojaveiteHide

Locality ListHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide