Mineralpedia Details for Tellurite
Tellurite
Named after its composition as tellurium (tellur) dioxide where the name for tellurium come from the Latin for “earth,” tellus. Found as an oxidation product of tellurium bearing minerals. It is found in a small number of locations including Romania, Kazakhstan, Japan, the USA, and Mexico.Crystals are acicular, straw yellow to bright golden and glassy.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/tellurite.pdf
- Formula
- TeO2
- Crystal System
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal Habit
- Acicular, Prismatic
- Cleavage
- Perfect, None, None
- Luster
- Adamantine
- Color
- yellow orange, white, straw yellow
- Streak
- white
- Class
- Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal
- Fracture
- Flexible
- Hardness
- 2
- WebMineral
- View Tellurite
- Mindat
- View Tellurite
Tellurite from Moctezuma mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico
Splendid, honey yellow, sharp and glassy, free-standing Tellurite crystals to 1mm in quartz lined vugs.
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Tellurite from Clinton mine, Lawrence Co., Soth Dakota
Tiny, about 0.75mm, lustrous yellow, acicular crystals.
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Tellurite from Moctezuma mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico
Glassy, golden yellow prismatic crystals up to 1cm.
Click thumbnail images for larger view.
