ALBERT

Description: Fuettererite, Pb 3 Cu 6 2+ Te 6+ O 6 (OH) 7 Cl 5 , is a new tellurate from Otto Mountain near Baker, California, named for Otto Fuetterer who is largely responsible for the development of the mining claims on Otto Mountain. The new mineral is known from only two specimens, one from the NE2 vein and the other from the Bird Nest drift. Fuettererite occurs in vugs in quartz, on the first specimen associated with Br-rich chlorargyrite, iodargyrite, and telluroperite and on the second specimen associated with angle-site, anatacamite, atacamite, chalcopyrite, galena, goethite, hematite, muscovite, phosphohedyphane, timroseite, and wulfenite. It is interpreted as having formed from the partial oxidation of primary sulfides and tellurides during or following brecciation of quartz veins. Fuettererite is hexagonal, with space group R $$\overline{3}$$ , a = 8.4035(12), c = 44.681(4) Å, V = 2732.6(6) Å 3 , and Z = 6. Crystals are tabular to short prismatic, exhibit the forms {100}, {101}, and {001} and reach a maximum dimension of 50 μm. The color is bluish green, the streak is pale bluish-green, and the luster is adamantine. The Mohs hardness is estimated at between 2 and 3. The new mineral is brittle with irregular fracture and one perfect cleavage on {001}. The calculated density based on the empirical formula is 5.528 g/cm 3 . Fuettererite is uniaxial (–), with calculated indices of refraction of = 2.04 and = 1.97, and is dichroic bluish-green, E 〈 O. Electron microprobe analysis provided: PbO 41.45, CuO 30.35, Al 2 O 3 0.23, TeO 3 12.80, Cl 12.08, H 2 O 3.55 (structure), O=Cl –2.73, total 97.73 wt%. The empirical formula (based on 18 O + Cl apfu) is: Pb 2.88 Cu 5.92 2+ Al 0.07 Te 1.13 6+ O 6.59 (OH) 6.12 Cl 5.29 . The ten strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines are [ d obs in Å ( hkl ) I ]: 6.106 (104) 44, 3.733 (0.0.12) 100, 2.749 (12 $$\overline{1}$$ ) 53, 2.6686 (12 $$\overline{4}$$ ) 49, 2.5289 (12 $$\overline{7}$$ ) 41, 2.2772 (1.2.11) 38, 1.9637 (315, 1.2. $$\overline{16}$$ ) 87, 1.8999 (multiple) 48, 1.5976 (multiple) 40, and 1.5843 (410, 1.2.23, 143) 44. The crystal structure of fuettererite ( R 1 = 0.031 for 971 reflections with F o 〉 4 F ) contains edge-sharing sheets of CuO 5 Cl and TeO 6 octahedra. These sheets are virtually identical to that in the structure of spangolite, but in fuettererite they are linked together to form a double sheet. The double octahedral sheets alternate with thick double layers of PbO 2 Cl 6 polyhedra. The CuO 5 Cl octahedra exhibit pronounced Jahn-Teller distortions and the PbO 2 Cl 6 polyhedron has a lopsided distribution of bond lengths attributable to the localization of the Pb 2+ 6s 2 lone-pair electrons.

Description: Phosphovanadylite-Ca, Ca[V 4+ 4 P 2 O 8 (OH) 8 ]•12H 2 O, is a new mineral from the South Rasmussen (or South Rasmussen Ridge) phosphate mine, Soda Springs, Caribou County, Idaho. It is named as the Ca analog of phosphovanadylite, which is now renamed as phosphovanadylite-Ba. The new mineral grows on matrix containing fine-grained quartz, massive, porous fluorapatite and hydroxylapatite, framboidal pyrite, and tiny, euhedral sphalerite crystals. Other minerals directly associated with the new mineral are sincosite and native Se. Phosphovanadylite-Ca crystallized at ambient temperatures from late-stage aqueous solutions of near neutral pH under relatively reducing conditions. The mineral is cubic, space group [IEQ] I 43 m , a = 15.441(11) Å, V = 3682(5) Å 3 , and Z = 6. Crystals occur as small, greenish-blue simple cubes (to 0.1 mm on edge) intergrown to form thin crusts. Penetration twinning on {111} is common. The color is bright greenish blue, the streak is very pale greenish blue, and the luster is vitreous. The Mohs hardness is estimated at 2. The new mineral is brittle with irregular fracture and no cleavage. The measured density is 2.02(3) g/cm 3 and the calculated density based on the empirical formula is 2.038 g/cm 3 . Phosphovanadylite-Ca is isotropic with n = 1.559(2). The normalized electron microprobe analysis based upon sufficient H for charge balance and 12 molecules of zeolitic H 2 O is: Na 2 O 0.22, K 2 O 0.55, CaO 5.58, SrO 0.10, BaO 0.21, Al 2 O 3 3.27, VO 2 35.85, P 2 O 5 18.78, H 2 O 35.44, Total 100.00. The empirical formula (based on 2 P and 28 O apfu) is: (Ca 0.75 K 009 Na 005 Ba0. 01 Sr 001 ) 091 [(V 4+ 3.27 Al 0. 49 ) 3.76 P 2.00 O 10.23 (OH) 5.77 ] 12H 2 O. The eight strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines are [d obs in Å ( hkl ) I ]:11.04 (110) 97, 7.7881 (200) 100, 4.487 (222) 14, 3.1706 (422) 46, 2.749 (440) 32, 2.4576 (620) 14, 2.3426 (622) 15, and 1.8295 (822) 16. The crystal structure of phosphovanadylite-Ca (R 1 = 0.027 for 171 reflections with F o 〉 4 F ) contains V 4 4+ O 16 polyvanadate clusters of four edge-sharing V 4+ O 6 octahedra. The polyvanadate clusters are linked into a three-dimensional zeolite-like framework by sharing corners with PO 4 tetrahedra. The open space in the framework is dominated by H 2 O with the equivalent of one large cation pfu sharing one of the H 2 O sites. The framework is identical to that in phosphovanadylite-Ba; however, in phosphovanadylite-Ba, the dominant extra-framework cation is Ba, while in phosphovanadylite-Ca, it is Ca.

Description: Krásnoite is a new mineral (IMA2011-040) from the Huber open pit, Krásno ore district, Czech Republic and the Silver Coin mine, Nevada, USA. Krásnoite is the fluorophosphate analogue of perhamite. Krásnoite occurs as compact to finely crystalline aggregates, balls and rosette-like clusters up to 1 mm across. Individual crystals are platy, show a hexagonal outline and can reach 0.1 mm on edge at Krásno and 0.4 mm at Silver Coin. At both localities, krásnoite occurs very late in phosphaterich paragenetic sequences. Krásnoite crystals are partly transparent with a typically pearly lustre, but can also appear greasy (Krásno) or dull (Silver Coin). The streak is white and the hardness is 5 on the Mohs scale. Crystals are brittle, have an irregular fracture, one imperfect cleavage on {001} and are not fluorescent under SW and LW ultraviolet light. Penetration twinning ⊥ {001} is common. The density for both Krásno and Silver Coin material is 2.48(4) g cm−3, measured by the sink–float method in an aqueous solution of sodium polytungstate. The calculated density is 2.476 g cm−3 (Krásno). Krásnoite crystals are uniaxial (+), with ω = 1.548(2) and ϵ = 1.549(2) (Krásno) and ω = 1.541(1) and ϵ = 1.543(1) (Silver Coin). The simplified formula of krásnoite is: Ca3Al7.7Si3P4O23.5(OH)12.1F2·8H2O. Krásnoite is trigonal, space group P3İm1, with a = 6.9956(4), c = 20.200(2) Å, V = 856.09(9) Å3 and Z = 3. Raman and infrared spectroscopy, coupled with magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS–NMR) spectrometry, confirmed the presence of PO3F, PO4, SiO4, H2O and OH in the crystal structure of krásnoite.

Description: Matulaite was first described by Moore and Ito (1980) from the Bachman mine, Hellertown, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, USA. Its ideal formula was reported as CaAl18(PO4)12(OH)20·28H2O, based on wet-chemical analysis. Re-examination of both existing cotype specimens of matulaite revealed no material matching the powder or single-crystal X-ray diffraction data reported for the species. Other samples examined from the type locality, as well as from the LCA pegmatite in North Carolina, USA, and Fumade, Tarn, France, provided material crystallographically consistent with matulaite: P21/n, a = 10.604(2), b = 16.608(4), c = 20.647(5) Å, β = 98.848(7)° and Z = 4. Electron microprobe and crystal structure analysis of newly studied material from the type locality showed the ideal formula of matulaite to be Fe3+Al7(PO4)4(PO3OH)2(OH)8(H2O)8·8H2O. The chemical composition reported by Moore and Ito (1980) was most probably determined on a mixture of mostly kobokoboite and afmite, with lesser amounts of crandallite. As there is no matulaite on any of the existing cotype specimens of the species, the two specimens used to obtain the new chemical analyses, powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and the structure determination are designated as neotypes. The neotypes have also been used to obtain crystal morphology and new measurements of the physical and optical properties of the species. The neotypes and new data have been approved by the CNMNC, proposal 11-F. The crystal structure of matulaite contains seven-member chain segments of AlO6 octahedra decorated by PO4 tetrahedra. The PO4 tetrahedra also link to isolated FeO6 octahedra, resulting in a ‘pinwheel’ Fe(PO4)6 group. The linkage of octahedra and tetrahedra defines a thick layer parallel to {001}. The only linkage between layers is via hydrogen bonding to interlayer water molecules.

Description: New data for parnauite from the type locality, Majuba Hill, Nevada, USA (MH; type specimen), and also from Cap Garonne, Var, France (CG), and the Clara Mine, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, are presented. The average chemical composition of MH material is (Cu 8.82 Al 0.16 Fe 0.02 ) 9.00 (As 1.78 Al 0.07 Si 0.08 S 0.07 ) 2.00 O 8 (SO 4 )(OH) 10 ·7H 2 O and that of CG parnauite, (Cu 8.42 Al 0.21 Zn 0.10 ) 8.73 (AsO 4 ) 2 [(S 0.97 As 0.10 ) 1.07 O 4 ](OH 9.23 Cl 0.77 ) 10.00 · 7H 2 O. Both of these formulae confirm the 9:2:1 Cu:As:S ratio obtained from earlier descriptions of parnauite. Raman spectra for parnauite from both localities are very similar. Bands are assigned, but show no evidence of the presence of CO 3 , in contrast to previous studies, and no distinct Cu–Cl stretching mode. It appears that neither the minor CO 3 and PO 4 previously reported nor Cl are essential constituents of parnauite. Single-crystal XRD analysis indicates a primitive orthorhombic unit cell with dimensions 6 x 14 x 15 Å, similar to previous studies, but h = odd reflections were heavily streaked and diffuse, preventing full refinement. A 3 Å substructure was refined, with space group Pmn 2 1 , to R 1 ( F ) = 0.0750 (MH). For a MH crystal, the subcell had a = 3.0113(4), b = 14.259(3), c = 14.932(2) Å, V = 641.13(16) Å 3 and Z = 1. The structure is of a new type, and contains Cu in 6 distinct sites, forming two three-polyhedron wide ribbons of edge-sharing Cu-O polyhedra extended parallel to the a - axis. The two ribbons lie back-to-back and are bridged by two AsO 4 tetrahedra. The collection of 6Cu + 2As cations plus ligands forms a rod-like moiety extended || a . These rods link through polyhedral corners to form complex, corrugated (010) layers. The interlayer space is occupied by H 2 O molecules. Thus, the disorder observed by XRD is of an unusual type, in which the shape of the unit mesh within layers is variable, rather than the stacking of the layers. Disorder arises because each AsO 4 tetrahedron shares a face with a Cu(O,OH,H 2 O) 5–6 polyhedron in the substructure, necessitating partial occupancy of both As and Cu sites. The S atoms were not located in the refinement, but four electron-density maxima in the interlayer region were interpreted as H 2 O molecules. Hence, the simplified structural formula derived from the substructure is (Cu 10 2 )(As 2 2 )O 8 (OH) 14 ·8H 2 O, deviating from that obtained in chemical analyses. The discrepancy presumably arises due to strong delocalisation of the sulphur and the apical oxygen of the SO 4 tetrahedron in the substructure. Short-range order of Cu–As and Cu–S || a can occur independently in the relevant structural rods, which accounts for the observed long-range disorder. Cell parameters and substructures obtained from CG and Clara material are similar to those from the MH crystal. Site splitting of OH positions in the CG refinement indicates that Cl is distributed over several sites in the 3 Å substructure, making the mineral a Cl-rich variety of parnauite rather than a distinct mineral species.

Description: Fluorowardite (IMA2012-016), NaAl 3 (PO 4 ) 2 (OH) 2 F 2 ·2H 2 O, the F analog of wardite, is a new mineral from the Silver Coin mine, Valmy, Iron Point district, Humboldt County, Nevada, U.S.A., where it occurs as a low-temperature secondary mineral in complex phosphate assemblages rich in Al, Na, and F. Fluorowardite forms colorless to white or cream-colored, tetragonal-pyramidal crystals up to 0.1 mm in diameter. The streak is white. Crystals are transparent to translucent, with vitreous to pearly luster. The Mohs hardness is about 5, the tenacity is brittle, the fracture is irregular, and crystals exhibit one perfect cleavage on {001}. The calculated density is 2.760 g/cm 3 . Optically, fluorowardite is uniaxial positive, with = 1.576(2) and = 1.584(2) (white light) and is non-pleochroic. Electron microprobe analyses (average of 8) provided: Na 2 O 6.27, CaO 1.74, MgO 0.42, Al 2 O 3 35.21, Fe 2 O 3 0.72, P 2 O 5 32.49, As 2 O 5 0.64, F 6.76, O=F –2.85, H 2 O 13.35 (structure), total 94.74 wt%. The presence of H 2 O and OH and the absence of CO 3 were confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The empirical formula (based on 14 anions) is: (Na 0.87 Ca 0.13 Mg 0.04 ) 1.04 (Al 2.96 Fe 3+ 0.04 ) 3.00 (P 1.96 As 0.03 ) 1.99 O 8.12 (OH) 2.35 F 1.53 ·2H 2 O. Fluorowardite is tetragonal, P 4 1 2 1 2, a = 7.077(2), c = 19.227(3) Å, V = 962.8(5) Å 3 , and Z = 4. The eight strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are [ d obs in Å( I )( hkl )]: 4.766(100)(004,103); 3.099(75)(211,203); 3.008(62)(115,212); 2.834(28)(204,213); 2.597(56)(205); 1.7628(32)(400,401); 1.6592(29)(multiple); and 1.5228(49)(423, 2·2·10). The structure of fluorowardite ( R 1 = 3.15% for 435 F o 〉 4 F ) contains layers parallel to {001} consisting of Al 6 ( = F, O, OH or H 2 O) octahedra, PO 4 tetrahedra, and NaO 6 (H 2 O) 2 polyhedra. The two independent Al 6 octahedra link by corner-sharing to form a square array. Each PO 4 tetrahedron shares corners with three adjacent octahedra in the same square array and a fourth corner with an octahedron in the next layer. The Na atoms reside in the "cavities" in the square array, forming bonds only to O atoms in the same layer. Of the two nearly identical OH sites in the wardite structure, only one is occupied by F in the fluorowardite structure. This is an interesting example of a structure in which OH and F are selectively incorporated into two different, but similar, sites as the result of rather subtle hydrogen bonding influences.

Description: The new mineral canutite (IMA2013-070), NaMn 3 [AsO 4 ][AsO 3 (OH)] 2 , was found at two different locations at the Torrecillas mine, Salar Grande, Iquique Province, Chile, where it occurs as a secondary alteration phase in association with anhydrite, halite, lavendulan, magnesiokoritnigite, pyrite, quartz and scorodite. Canutite is reddish brown in colour. It forms as prisms elongated on [201I] and exhibiting the forms {010}, {100}, {102}, {201} and {102I}, or as tablets flattened on {102} and exhibiting the forms {102} and {110}. Crystals are transparent with a vitreous lustre. The mineral has a pale tan streak, Mohs hardness of 21/2, brittle tenacity, splintery fracture and two perfect cleavages, on {010} and {101}. The calculated density is 4.112 g cm –3 . Optically, canutite is biaxial (+) with α = 1.712(3), β = 1.725(3) and = 1.756(3) (measured in white light). The measured 2V is 65.6(4)°, the dispersion is r 〈 v (slight), the optical orientation is Z = b ; X ^ a = 18° in obtuse β and pleochroism is imperceptible. The mineral is slowly soluble in cold, dilute HCl. The empirical formula (for tabular crystals from near the mine shaft), determined from electron-microprobe analyses, is (Na 1.05 Mn 2.64 Mg 0.34 Cu 0.14 Co 0.03 ) 4.20 As 3 O 12 H 1.62 . Canutite is monoclinic, C 2/ c , a = 12.3282(4), b = 12.6039(5), c = 6.8814(5) Å, β = 113.480(8)°, V = 980.72(10) Å 3 and Z = 4. The eight strongest X-ray powder diffraction lines are [ d obs Å( I )( hkl )]: 6.33(34)(020), 4.12(26)(2I21), 3.608(29)(310,1I31), 3.296(57)(1I12), 3.150(28)(002,131), 2.819(42)(400,041,330), 2.740(100)(240,4I02,112) and 1.5364(31)(multiple). The structure, refined to R 1 = 2.33% for 1089 F o 〉 4 F reflections, shows canutite to be isostructural with protonated members of the alluaudite group.

Description: Itsiite, ideally Ba 2 Ca(BSi 2 O 7 ) 2 , is a new mineral from the Gun claim, just south of the Itsi Range, Yukon Territory, Canada. The new mineral occurs in low temperature, late-stage veins in direct association with cerchiaraite-(Fe), diopside, pyrite, quartz, sphalerite, and witherite. Itsiite occurs as colorless and light blue to medium greenish-blue tetragonal plates up to 1 mm across. The plates are flattened on {001} and exhibit the forms {001}, {101}, and {112}. The mineral is transparent, has a vitreous luster, and is non-fluorescent. It has a white streak and Mohs hardness of approximately 51/2. It is brittle, with splintery fracture, and one perfect cleavage on {001}. The calculated density based upon the empirical formula and single-crystal unit cell is 3.644 g/cm 3 . The mineral is optically uniaxial (–), with = 1.623(1) and = 1.619(1) (white light). The mineral is nonpleochroic. Electron-microprobe compositions (average of 3) provided: Na 2 O 0.06, BaO 46.35, CaO 7.35, FeO 0.15, Al 2 O 3 0.17, TiO 2 0.06, SiO 2 34.91, B 2 O 3 10.41 (from structure), total 99.46 wt.%. The empirical formula (based on 14 O apfu ) is Ba 2.06 (Ca 0.89 Al 0.02 Na 0.01 Fe 0.01 Ti 0.01 ) 0.94 (Si 3.96 B 2.04 ) 6.00 O 14 . Itsiite is tetragonal, I $$\overline{4}$$ 2 m , a 10.9515(5), c 10.3038(7) Å, V 1235.79(11) Å 3 , and Z = 4. The nine most intense lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are [ d obs in Å( I )( hkl )]: 5.50(42)(200); 3.746(100)(202); 3.446(60)(301); 3.100(51)(222); 2.899(96)(321,312); 2.279(44)(323); 2.145(69)(224,501); 1.8257(41)(503,334,305); 1.7584(43)(532,523). The crystal structure ( R 1 = 1.8% for 992 F o 〉 4 F ) is based upon a zeolite-like tetrahedral framework of corner-sharing tetrahedra consisting of four-membered silicate rings alternating with four-membered borate rings. The framework contains channels along each axis that host Ba 2+ in ninefold coordination and Ca 2+ in sixfold coordination. The structure is very similar to those of hyalotekite and kapitsaite-(Y).

Description: The crystal structure of burckhardite from the type locality, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico, has been refined to R 1 = 0.0362 and w R 2 = 0.0370 for 215 reflections with I 〉 2( I ). Burckhardtite is trigonal, space group P 3I1 m , with the unit-cell parameters a = 5.2566(5) Å, c = 13.0221(10) Å, V = 311.62(5) Å 3 and Z = 1 for the ideal formula unit Pb 2 (Fe 3+ Te 6+ )[AlSi 3 O 8 ]O 6 . There is no long-range order of (Fe 3+ , Te 6+ ) or (Al 3+ , Si 4+ ). New microprobe data were used to estimate site scattering factors, and Raman spectroscopic data showed no evidence of O–H stretching bands. Burckhardtite is not closely related to the micas, as supposed previously, but is a double-sheet silicate in which the aluminosilicate anion resembles that of minerals such as cymrite and kampfite. The [(Fe 3+ Te 6+ )O 6 ] 3– part of the structure is not bonded directly to the aluminosilicate layer, but forms a discrete anionic phyllotellurate layer that alternates with the [AlSi 3 O 8 ] – double sheets. Similar phyllotellurate layers are known from several synthetic phases. In burckhardtite, Pb 2+ cations intercalate between phyllosilicate and phyllotellurate layers, forming a Pb 2 [FeTeO 6 ] module that is topologically similar to a slab of the structure of rosiaite, Pb[Sb 2 O 6 ]. The crystal symmetry, structure, classification as a double-sheet silicate and chemical formula, including the determination of the 6+ valence of Te and absence of essential H 2 O, are all new findings for the mineral.

Description: Zincalstibite-9R, a new polytype in the hydrotalcite supergroup is reported from the Monte Avanza mine, Italy. It occurs as pale blue curved disc-like tablets flattened on {001} intergrown to form rosettes typically less than 50 μm in diameter, with cyanophyllite and linarite in cavities in baryte. Zincalstibite-9R is uniaxial (−), with refractive indices ω = 1.647(2) and ε = 1.626(2) measured in white light. The empirical formula (based on 12 OH groups) is ( Al0.04)Σ2.00Al1.01 ( Si0.02)Σ0.99(OH)12, and the ideal formula is (Zn,Cu)2Al(OH)6[Sb(OH)6]. Zincalstibite-9R crystallizes in space group R3İ, with a = 5.340(2), c = 88.01(2) Å, V = 2173.70(15) Å3 and Z = 9. The crystal structure was refined to R1 = 0.0931 for 370 unique reflections [Fo 〉 4σ(F)] and R1 = 0.0944 for all 381 unique reflections. It has the longest periodic layer stacking sequence for a layered double hydroxide compound reported to date.