EMMONSITE

    Class : Oxides and hydroxides
    Subclass : Tellurites
    Crystal system : Triclinic
    Chemistry : Fe2Te3O9 2H2O
    Rarity : Very rare

Emmonsite is an extremely rare secondary hydrated iron tellurite of a green-yellow color, known in less than 20 localities in the world. It accompanies gold and different tellurides (altaite, hessite, sylvanite, etc...) in the epithermal gold veins of Colorado (Vulcan), Nevada (Goldfield) and Mexico (Moctezuma). It was named in honor of the geologist and economist Samuel Franklin Emmons. Its crystals are acicular and very rare, emmonsite mainly constitutes microcrystalline masses, fibrous crusts or elongated velvety aggregates.

Main photo : Emmonsite from Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico © Stephan Wolfsried

Emmonsite from Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico © Christian Rewitzer
Emmonsite from Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico © G. Franz Zöll
Black Butte Mine Emmonsite, Nevada, USA © Vandall Thomas King
Emmonsite of Tambo Mine, Vicuña, Coquimbo, Chile © Maurizio Dini

Emmonsite in the World

The best specimens come from Moctezuma (Mexico) where this mineral was relatively abundant. Good samples also come from Vulcan (Colorado), Goldfield and Black Butte Mine (Nevada). It is found at Lone Pine Mine (New Mexico), at Tombstone (Arizona), it is also reported at Vicuña (Chile) and Rodalquilar (Spain).

Emmonsite in France

Emmonsite is not present in the French underground.

Twinning

Twins can be observed on the microscopic crystals.

Fakes and treatments

No fake listed for this mineral species.


Hardness : 5
Density : 4.52 to 4.55
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : Green

TP : Translucent
RI : 1.962 to 2.120
Birefringence : 0.138 to 2.120
Optical character : Biaxial -
Pleochroism : Low
Fluorescence : None

Solubility : Nitric acid and hydrochloric acid


Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None

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