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Khinite

A valid IMA mineral species

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Khinite

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

Khinite-3T

Empire Mine, Tombstone, Tombstone Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Khinite-3T

Empire Mine, Tombstone, Tombstone Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Khinite

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

Khinite-3T

Empire Mine, Tombstone, Tombstone Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Khinite-3T

Empire Mine, Tombstone, Tombstone Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Khinite

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

Khinite-3T

Empire Mine, Tombstone, Tombstone Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, USA

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About KhiniteHide

Formula:

Pb²⁺Cu²⁺₃[Te⁶⁺O₆](OH)₂

Colour:

Dark green to bottle green

Lustre:

Vitreous

Hardness:

Specific Gravity:

6.5 - 7.0

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic

Name:

Named in honor of BaSaw Khin (b. 1931, Burma), a mineralogist with Phelps Dodge Corporation, USA. He found the first specimens of parakhinite.

Type Locality:

ⓘ Old Guard Mine, Tombstone, Tombstone Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, USA

Two polytypes are known, khinite-4O (orthorhombic) and khinite-3T (trigonal). The two polytypes have different stackings of otherwise identical layers of composition [Cu3(TeO6)(OH)2]2-, with Pb2+ cations between the layers.

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

2199

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:2199:5

Similar NamesHide

Chinite	A variety of 'Tektite'
Cohenite	A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered	Fe₃C
Kainite	A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered	KMg(SO₄)Cl · 3H₂O
Khuniite	A synonym of Iranite

IMA Classification of KhiniteHide

IMA status:

Approved

IMA Formula:

Cu²⁺₃Pb²⁺Te⁶⁺O₆(OH)₂

Approval year:

1978

First published:

1978

Type description reference:

Williams, S. A. (1978) Khinite, parakhinite, and dugganite, three new tellurates from Tombstone, Arizona. American Mineralogist, 63 (9-10) 1016-1019

Classification of KhiniteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):

4.FD.30

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
F : Hydroxides (without V or U)
D : Hydroxides with OH, without H₂O; chains of edge-sharing octahedra

Dana 7th ed.:

33.1.3.1

Dana 8th ed.:

33.1.3.1

33 : SELENATES AND TELLURATES
1 : (AB)_m(XO₄)_pZ_q

Hey's CIM Ref.:

28.4.8

28 : Selenites, Selenates, Tellurites, and Tellurates
4 : Tellurates

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

Physical Properties of KhiniteHide

Lustre:

Vitreous

Transparency:

Translucent

Colour:

Dark green to bottle green

Streak:

Vivid green

Hardness:

3 on Mohs scale

Tenacity:

Brittle

Cleavage:

Imperfect/Fair
On {001}

Density:

6.5 - 7.0 g/cm³ (Measured) 6.29 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Comment:

Thoulet's method

Optical Data of KhiniteHide

Type:

Biaxial (+)

RI values:

n_α = 2.11 n_β = 2.112 n_γ = 2.165

2V:

Measured: 20° , Calculated: 24°

Max. Birefringence:

δ = 0.055
Based on recorded range of RI values above.

Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.

Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.

Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.

Thickness: 30 µm Order divisions

Rotation:

Surface Relief:

Very High (positive)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).

This shows the grain boundary and Becke line effect under plane-polarised light, based on the contrast between this mineral's average refractive index and the mounting medium. It does not take into account mineral colouration.

Focus:

In focus

Interference Figure:

This shows the idealized biaxial acute bisectrix (Bxa) interference figure - the conoscopic view for a grain cut perpendicular to the acute bisectrix, using this mineral's 2V. The two small white dots mark the melatopes - the points where the two optic axes emerge - and are shown only when they fall within the field of view. The coloured bands are isochromatics, and the dark bands are isogyres.

Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.

Thickness: 30 µm

Stage rotation: 0°

Dispersion:

strong

Pleochroism:

Visible

Comments:

Rich yellowish green (Y,Z), vivid emerald green (X)
Z = Y > X

Chemistry of KhiniteHide

Mindat Formula:

Pb²⁺Cu²⁺₃[Te⁶⁺O₆](OH)₂

Element Weights:

Element	% weight
Pb	31.612 %
Cu	29.085 %
O	19.528 %
Te	19.468 %
H	0.308 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.

Elements listed:

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

Crystallography of KhiniteHide

Polytype:

Formula:

Crystal System:

Class (H-M)

Space Group:

Space Group Setting:

Cell Parameters:

Ratio:

Unit Cell Volume (calc):

Comment:

Khinite-3T	Khinite-4O
Pb²⁺Cu²⁺₃Te⁶⁺O₆(OH)₂	Pb²⁺Cu²⁺₃[Te⁶⁺O₆](OH)₂
Trigonal	Orthorhombic
3 - Pyramidal	mm2 - Pyramidal
P3₂	Fdd2

a = 5.765(2) Å, c = 18.001(9) Å	a = 5.7491(10) Å, b = 10.0176(14) Å, c = 24.022(3) Å
a:c = 1 : 3.122	a:b:c = 0.574 : 1 : 2.398
V 518 Å³	V 1383.6 Å³
3	8

Crystal StructureHide

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Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4

View
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c

Rotation
Stop | Start

Labels
Console Off | On | Grey | Yellow

Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure

ID	Species	Reference	Year	Locality	Temp (K)
0014584	Khinite	Cooper M A, Hawthorne F C, Back M E (2008) The crystal structure of khinite and polytypism in khinite and parakhinite Mineralogical Magazine 72 763-770	2008	the Empire mine, Tombstone, Arizona, USA	293
0014583	Khinite	Cooper M A, Hawthorne F C, Back M E (2008) The crystal structure of khinite and polytypism in khinite and parakhinite Mineralogical Magazine 72 763-770	2008	the Empire mine, Tombstone, Arizona, USA	293
0005428	Khinite	Burns P C, Cooper M A, Hawthorne F C (1995) Parakhinite, Cu3PbTeO6(OH)2: Crystal structure and revision of chemical formula formerly known as parakhinite The Canadian Mineralogist 33 33-40	1995		293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Khinite-4O'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Cooper M A'
'Hawthorne F C'
'Back M E'
_journal_name_full 'Mineralogical Magazine'
_journal_volume 72 
_journal_year 2008
_journal_page_first 763
_journal_page_last 770
_publ_section_title
;
 The crystal structure of khinite and polytypism in khinite and parakhinite
 Note: This is the original khinite, now distinguished as the -4O polytype
;
_database_code_amcsd 0014584
_chemical_compound_source 'the Empire mine, Tombstone, Arizona, USA'
_chemical_formula_sum 'Pb Te Cu3 (O8 H2)'
_cell_length_a 5.7491
_cell_length_b 10.0176
_cell_length_c 24.022
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
_cell_angle_gamma 90
_cell_volume 1383.479
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      6.294
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'F d d 2'
loop_
_space_group_symop_operation_xyz
  'x,y,z'
  'x,1/2+y,1/2+z'
  '1/2+x,y,1/2+z'
  '1/2+x,1/2+y,z'
  '1/4+x,1/4-y,1/4+z'
  '1/4+x,3/4-y,3/4+z'
  '3/4+x,1/4-y,3/4+z'
  '3/4+x,3/4-y,1/4+z'
  '1/4-x,1/4+y,1/4+z'
  '1/4-x,3/4+y,3/4+z'
  '3/4-x,1/4+y,3/4+z'
  '3/4-x,3/4+y,1/4+z'
  '-x,1/2-y,1/2+z'
  '-x,-y,+z'
  '1/2-x,1/2-y,+z'
  '1/2-x,-y,1/2+z'
loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
_atom_site_U_iso_or_equiv
Pb   0.25000   0.25000   0.14110   0.01294
Te   0.50000   0.00000   0.23761   0.00720
Cu(1)   0.00000   0.00000   0.29395   0.00820
Cu(2)   0.25000   0.25000   0.29509   0.00520
Cu(3)   0.75000   0.25000   0.23861   0.00890
O-H(1)   0.15300   0.11580   0.34660   0.01000
O(2)   0.61500   0.12660   0.18340   0.00900
O(3)   0.20020   0.10070   0.24010   0.00900
O(4)   0.62780   0.12210   0.29310   0.01200
loop_
_atom_site_aniso_label
_atom_site_aniso_U_11
_atom_site_aniso_U_22
_atom_site_aniso_U_33
_atom_site_aniso_U_12
_atom_site_aniso_U_13
_atom_site_aniso_U_23
Pb 0.01400 0.01000 0.01480 -0.00090 0.00000 0.00000
Te 0.01300 0.00070 0.00790 -0.00180 0.00000 0.00000
Cu(1) 0.00670 0.00590 0.01190 -0.00310 0.00000 0.00000
Cu(2) 0.00330 0.00440 0.00790 -0.00020 0.00000 0.00000
Cu(3) 0.01490 0.00310 0.00880 -0.00430 0.00000 0.00000

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]

Type Occurrence of KhiniteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Old Guard Mine, Tombstone, Tombstone Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, USA

General Appearance of Type Material:

Deeply etched curved or barrel shaped bipyramids.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

The Natural History Museum, London, England, numbers 1980,541 and 1980,543.
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, numbers 164352.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

Tellurium-bearing dumps.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Chlorargyrite	Chrysocolla	Dugganite	Native Gold	Quartz
Quetzalcoatlite	Tenorite

Reference:

Williams, S. A. (1978) Khinite, parakhinite, and dugganite, three new tellurates from Tombstone, Arizona. American Mineralogist, 63 (9-10) 1016-1019

Synonyms of KhiniteHide

IMA1978-035

Other Language Names for KhiniteHide

Dutch:Khiniet

German:Khinit

Spanish:Khinita

Common AssociatesHide

Associations Based on Photo Data:

35 photos of Khinite associated with Quartz	SiO₂
34 photos of Khinite associated with Timroseite	Pb₂Cu₅(TeO₆)₂(OH)₂
33 photos of Khinite associated with Native Gold	Au
28 photos of Khinite associated with Thorneite	Pb₆(Te⁶⁺₂O₁₀)(CO₃)Cl₂(H₂O)
11 photos of Khinite associated with Chlorargyrite	AgCl
8 photos of Khinite associated with Cerussite	PbCO₃
6 photos of Khinite associated with Wulfenite	Pb(MoO₄)
5 photos of Khinite associated with Markcooperite	Pb₂(UO₂)(TeO₆)
5 photos of Khinite associated with Housleyite	Pb₆CuTe⁶⁺₄O₁₈(OH)₂
4 photos of Khinite associated with Eckhardite	(Ca,Pb)Cu²⁺Te⁶⁺O₅(H₂O)

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

4.FD.05	Spertiniite	Cu(OH)₂	Orth. mm2 : Cmc2₁
4.FD.10	Diaspore	AlO(OH)	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
4.FD.10	Goethite	Fe³⁺O(OH)	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
4.FD.10	Montroseite	(V³⁺,Fe³⁺)O(OH)	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
4.FD.10	Tsumgallite	GaO(OH)	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
4.FD.10	Groutite	Mn³⁺O(OH)	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
4.FD.10	Bracewellite	CrO(OH)	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
4.FD.10	Guyanaite	CrO(OH)	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
4.FD.15	Manganite	Mn³⁺O(OH)	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
4.FD.20	Yttrotungstite-(Y)	YW₂O₇(OH) · H₂O	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/m
4.FD.20	Yttrotungstite-(Ce)	CeW₂O₇(OH) · H₂O	Mon. 2 : P2₁
4.FD.25	Frankhawthorneite	Cu₂Te⁶⁺O₄(OH)₂	Mon. 2/m
4.FD.30	'Khinite-3T'	Pb²⁺Cu²⁺₃Te⁶⁺O₆(OH)₂	Trig. 3 : P3₂
4.FD.30	Housleyite	Pb₆CuTe⁶⁺₄O₁₈(OH)₂	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/m

Fluorescence of KhiniteHide

In UV light:

None

Other InformationHide

Notes:

Quickly dissolves in even mildly alkaline water.

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 KhiniteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-2199.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

Look for Khinite on Webmineral

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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

Mineral Dealers:

Buy from D. Joyce minerals

References for KhiniteHide

Reference List:

Williams, S. A. (1978) Khinite, parakhinite, and dugganite, three new tellurates from Tombstone, Arizona. American Mineralogist, 63 (9-10) 1016-1019

Cooper, M. A., Hawthorne, F. C., Back, M. E. (2008) The crystal structure of khinite and polytypism in khinite and parakhinite. Mineralogical Magazine, 72 (3) 763-770 doi:10.1180/minmag.2008.072.3.763

Hawthorne, F. C., Cooper, M. A., Back, M. E. (2009) Khinite-4O (= khinite) and khinite-3T (= parakhinite) The Canadian Mineralogist, 47 (2) 473-476 doi:10.3749/canmin.47.2.473

(2020) Khinite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for KhiniteHide

Showing 30 localities.

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.

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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.


Mexico
Sonora Moctezuma Municipality ⓘ Moctezuma	Braith et al. (2001)
ⓘ ~~Guadalupe Mine~~	Maggie Wilson

USA
Arizona Cochise County Carr Canyon ⓘ Reef Mine	"The Accidental Pocket" talk presented ...
ⓘ Tombstone Mining District	[Khinite-3T] Williams (1978) +1 other reference
ⓘ Lucky Cuss Mine area	Mike Scott S102329 from Cureton ex S. ...
Silver Plume Mine ⓘ Emerald Mine	[Khinite-3T] Marek Chorazewicz (2023) +1 other reference
Tombstone ⓘ Empire Mine	[Khinite-3T] Thorne (n.d.)
ⓘ Old Guard Mine (TL)	[Khinite-3T] Williams (1978) +1 other reference
California Inyo County White Mountains Cuna Spring ⓘ Starlight prospect	Kampf et al. (2026)
San Bernardino County Silver Lake Mining District Soda Mountains Baker ⓘ Otto Mountain	Kampf et al. (2010)
ⓘ Aga Mine	[Khinite-3T] EDS and XRD confirmed. +2 other references
ⓘ Aga Pit	Marek Chorazewicz (2019)
ⓘ Bird Nest drift	[Khinite-3T] Kampf et al. (2010) +1 other reference
ⓘ Bird Nest E3	Thorne (n.d.)
ⓘ Library Mine	King (n.d.) +1 other reference
ⓘ NE2 vein	Thorne (n.d.) +1 other reference
ⓘ Ridge Ledge prospect	Thorne (n.d.)
ⓘ SW cut	Thorne (n.d.)
Zzyzx ⓘ Blue Bell Mine	Collected by and in the collections of ...
ⓘ E-Site	Collected by and in the collection of ...
Nevada Lincoln County Delamar Mining District Delamar Mine ⓘ Mine dump	Kampf et al. (2022)
Utah Juab County Detroit Mining District ⓘ Wildcat Project	Miyawaki et al. (2019) +1 other reference
ⓘ High Grade Hill prospect	Coolbaugh et al. (2020)
Utah County East Tintic Mining District ⓘ Trixie Mine (Trixie shaft; Old Trump prospect)	SEM-EDS analyzed by Dr. Rob Bowell.

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Khinite

About KhiniteHide

Unique IdentifiersHide

Similar NamesHide

IMA Classification of KhiniteHide

Classification of KhiniteHide

Mineral SymbolsHide

Physical Properties of KhiniteHide

Optical Data of KhiniteHide

Chemistry of KhiniteHide

Crystallography of KhiniteHide

Crystal StructureHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Type Occurrence of KhiniteHide

Synonyms of KhiniteHide

Other Language Names for KhiniteHide

Common AssociatesHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

Fluorescence of KhiniteHide

Other InformationHide

Internet Links for KhiniteHide

References for KhiniteHide

Localities for KhiniteHide

Locality ListHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide