Russellite (mineral)

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Russellite
Russellite.jpg
Yellow globular aggregates of the rare tungsten mineral russellite from the famous Clara Mine (Wolfach, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany).
General
CategoryTungstate minerals
Formula
(repeating unit)
Bi2WO6
IMA symbol Rll [1]
Strunz classification 4.DE.15
Crystal system Orthorhombic
Crystal class Pyramidal (mm2)
H-M symbol: (mm2)
Space group Pca21
Unit cell a = 5.43  Å, b = 16.43 Å
c = 5.45 Å; Z = 4
Identification
ColorYellow-green, yellow
Crystal habit Fine-grained, compact, massive
Mohs scale hardness3.5
Specific gravity 7.33–7.37
Optical propertiesBiaxial (+)
Refractive index 2.17–2.51
Dispersion Relatively strong
References [2] [3] [4]

Russellite is a bismuth tungstate mineral with the chemical formula Bi2WO6. [2] It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system. Russellite is yellow or yellow-green in color, with a Mohs hardness of 3+12. [2]

Russellite is named for the mineralogist Sir Arthur Russell, and the type locality is the Castle-an-Dinas Mine, [2] near St Columb Major in Cornwall, where it was found in 1938 in wolframite. [5] It occurs as a secondary alteration of other bismuth bearing minerals in tin−tungsten hydrothermal ore deposits, pegmatites and greisens. It typically occurs associated with native bismuth, bismuthinite, bismite, wolframite, ferberite, scheelite, ferritungstite, anthoinite, mpororoite, koechlinite, cassiterite, topaz, muscovite, tourmaline and quartz. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolframite</span> Iron manganese tungstate mineral

Wolframite is an iron, manganese, and tungstate mineral with a chemical formula of (Fe,Mn)WO4 that is the intermediate mineral between ferberite (Fe2+ rich) and hübnerite (Mn2+ rich). Along with scheelite, the wolframite series are the most important tungsten ore minerals. Wolframite is found in quartz veins and pegmatites associated with granitic intrusives. Associated minerals include cassiterite, scheelite, bismuth, quartz, pyrite, galena, sphalerite, and arsenopyrite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bornite</span> Sulfide mineral

Bornite, also known as peacock ore, is a sulfide mineral with chemical composition Cu5FeS4 that crystallizes in the orthorhombic system (pseudo-cubic).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassiterite</span> Tin oxide mineral, SnO₂

Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral, SnO2. It is generally opaque, but it is translucent in thin crystals. Its luster and multiple crystal faces produce a desirable gem. Cassiterite was the chief tin ore throughout ancient history and remains the most important source of tin today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autunite</span>

Autunite (hydrated calcium uranyl phosphate), with formula Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2·10–12H2O, is a yellow-greenish fluorescent phosphate mineral with a hardness of 2–2+12. Autunite crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and often occurs as tabular square crystals, commonly in small crusts or in fan-like masses. Due to the moderate uranium content of 48.27% it is radioactive and also used as uranium ore. Autunite fluoresces bright green to lime green under UV light. The mineral is also called calco-uranite, but this name is rarely used and effectively outdated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scheelite</span> Calcium tungstate mineral

Scheelite is a calcium tungstate mineral with the chemical formula CaWO4. It is an important ore of tungsten (wolfram). Scheelite is originally named after Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742–1786). Well-formed crystals are sought by collectors and are occasionally fashioned into gemstones when suitably free of flaws. Scheelite has been synthesized using the Czochralski process; the material produced may be used to imitate diamond, as a scintillator, or as a solid-state lasing medium. It was also used in radium paint in the same fashion as was zinc sulphide, and Thomas Edison invented a fluoroscope with a calcium tungstate-coated screen, making the images six times brighter than those with barium platinocyanide; the latter chemical allowed Röntgen to discover X-rays in early November 1895.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zinnwaldite</span>

Zinnwaldite, KLiFeAl(AlSi3)O10(OH,F)2, potassium lithium iron aluminium silicate hydroxide fluoride is a silicate mineral in the mica group. The IMA status is as a series between siderophyllite (KFe2Al(Al2Si2)O10(F,OH)2) and polylithionite (KLi2AlSi4O10(F,OH)2) and not considered a valid mineral species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hübnerite</span>

Hübnerite or hubnerite is a mineral consisting of manganese tungsten oxide (chemical formula MnWO4). It is the manganese endmember of the manganese–iron wolframite solid solution series. It forms reddish brown to black monoclinic prismatic submetallic crystals. The crystals are typically flattened and occur with fine striations. It has a high specific gravity of 7.15 and a Mohs hardness of 4.5. It is transparent to translucent with perfect cleavage. Refractive index values are nα = 2.170 – 2.200, nβ = 2.220, and nγ = 2.300 – 2.320.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bismuthinite</span> Bismuth (III) sulfide mineral

Bismuthinite is a mineral consisting of bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3). It is an important ore for bismuth. The crystals are steel-grey to off-white with a metallic luster. It is soft enough to be scratched with a fingernail and rather dense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferberite</span>

Ferberite is the iron endmember of the manganese–iron wolframite solid solution series. The manganese endmember is hübnerite. Ferberite is a black monoclinic mineral composed of iron(II) tungstate, FeWO4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stannite</span>

Stannite is a mineral, a sulfide of copper, iron, and tin, in the category of thiostannates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Litharge</span>

Litharge (from Greek lithargyros, lithos 'stone' + argyros 'silver' λιθάργυρος) is one of the natural mineral forms of lead(II) oxide, PbO. Litharge is a secondary mineral which forms from the oxidation of galena ores. It forms as coatings and encrustations with internal tetragonal crystal structure. It is dimorphous with the yellow orthorhombic form massicot. It forms soft (Mohs hardness of 2), red, greasy-appearing crusts with a very high specific gravity of 9.14–9.35. PbO may be prepared by heating lead metal in air at approximately 600 °C (lead melts at only 300 °C). At this temperature it is also the end product of heating of other lead oxides in air. This is often done with a set of bellows pumping air over molten lead and causing the oxidized product to slip or fall off the top into a receptacle, where it quickly solidifies in minute scales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaňkite</span>

Kankite is a mineral with the chemical formula Fe3+AsO4·3.5(H2O). Kankite is named for the locality that yielded first specimens Kaňk, Czech Republic. Kankite forms in old (1200- to 1400-year-old) mine dumps. It is yellowish-green on fresh exposure, with a paler greenish yellow on exposure to air.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tellurobismuthite</span>

Tellurobismuthite, or tellurbismuth, is a telluride mineral: bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3). It crystallizes in the trigonal system. There are natural cleavage planes in the (0001) direction as the crystal is effectively lamellar (layered) in that plane. The Mohs hardness is 1.5 - 2 and the specific gravity is 7.815. It is a dull grey color, which exhibits a splendent luster on fresh cleavage planes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botallackite</span> Halide mineral

Botallackite, chemical formula Cu2(OH)3Cl is a secondary copper mineral, named for its type locality at the Botallack Mine, St Just in Penwith, Cornwall. It is polymorphous with atacamite, paratacamite and clinoatacamite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zaïrite</span>

Zaïrite is a phosphate mineral with the chemical formula Bi(Fe3+,Al)3[(OH)6|(PO4)2]. The name was given from where it was locally discovered in Eta-Etu, Kivu, Congo (Zaïre) in 1975.

Gananite (simplified Chinese: 赣南矿; traditional Chinese: 贛南礦; pinyin: gànnánkuàng) is a rare bismuth fluoride mineral form of bismuth trifluoride with a general formula of BiF3. Gananite is an isotropic mineral, it belongs to the space group P43m. This means that gananite does not show any colors in cross polarized light, because when polarized light passes through it, it does not split into two perpendicular rays. In other words, because gananite is an isometric mineral, it does not exhibit double refraction. Moreover, this tells us that this mineral is not birefringent. Its color in plane-polarized light is blackish-brown, and it does not show pleochroism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matlockite</span>

Matlockite is a rare lead halide mineral, named after the town of Matlock in Derbyshire, England, where it was first discovered in a nearby mine. Matlockite gives its name to the matlockite group which consists of rare minerals of a similar structure.

Daubréeite is a rare bismuth oxohalide mineral with formula BiO(OH,Cl). It is a creamy-white to yellow-brown, soft, earthy clay–like mineral which crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system. It is a member of the matlockite group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornwallite</span> Copper arsenate mineral

Cornwallite is an uncommon copper arsenate mineral with formula Cu5(AsO4)2(OH)4. It forms a series with the phosphate pseudomalachite and is a dimorph of the triclinic cornubite. It is a green monoclinic mineral which forms as radial to fibrous encrustations.

Mawsonite is a brownish orange sulfosalt mineral, containing copper, iron, tin, and sulfur: Cu6Fe2SnS8.

References

  1. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi: 10.1180/mgm.2021.43 . S2CID   235729616.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Russellite: Russellite data on Mindat.org
  3. 1 2 Handbook of Mineralogy
  4. Webmineral data
  5. Embrey, P. G.; Symes, R. F. (1987). "The Mines and Mining". Minerals of Cornwall and Devon. London: British Museum (Natural History). p. 54. ISBN   0-565-00989-3.