Quetzalcoatlite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Quetzalcoatlite
Quetzalcoatl
Formula:
Zn6Cu3(TeO6)2(OH)6 · AgxPbyClx+2y
Colour:
Blue
Lustre:
Pearly, Dull
Hardness:
3
Specific Gravity:
6.05
Crystal System:
Trigonal
Name:
Named after Quetzalcoatl, the Toltec and Aztec god of the sea. In allusion to its sea-blue color.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3343
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3343:1
IMA Classification of Quetzalcoatlite
Approved
IMA Formula:
Cu2+3Zn2+6Te6+2O12(OH)6·(Ag1+,Pb2+,◻)Cl
Approval year:
1973
First published:
1974
Classification of Quetzalcoatlite
4.FE.45
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
F : Hydroxides (without V or U)
E : Hydroxides with OH, without H2O; sheets of edge-sharing octahedra
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
F : Hydroxides (without V or U)
E : Hydroxides with OH, without H2O; sheets of edge-sharing octahedra
34.6.3.1
34 : SELENITES, TELLURITES AND SULFITES
6 : Anhydrous Selenites, Tellurites and Sulfites containing Hydroxyl or Halogen
34 : SELENITES, TELLURITES AND SULFITES
6 : Anhydrous Selenites, Tellurites and Sulfites containing Hydroxyl or Halogen
28.3.7
28 : Selenites, Selenates, Tellurites, and Tellurates
3 : Tellurites
28 : Selenites, Selenates, Tellurites, and Tellurates
3 : Tellurites
Mineral Symbols
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Qzl | 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 Quetzalcoatlite
Pearly, Dull
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Blue
Streak:
Pale blue, almost white
Hardness:
3 on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Imperfect/Fair
fair on {1010}
fair on {1010}
Density:
6.05(30) g/cm3 (Measured) 4.82 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Quetzalcoatlite
Type:
Uniaxial (-)
RI values:
nω = 1.802 nε = 1.74
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.062
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
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.
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.
Surface Relief:
Very High (positive)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
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.
In focus
Interference Figure:
This shows the idealized uniaxial interference figure - the conoscopic
(convergent-light, Bertrand-lens-in) view, for a grain cut with the optic axis
centred and vertical. The coloured rings are isochromatics, computed with the
same physics as the Michel-Lévy bar above; the dark cross is the isogyre.
For a genuinely uniaxial mineral viewed this way, that cross stays perfectly stationary if you rotate the stage - unlike a biaxial mineral, where it splits apart on rotation. That invariance is itself the standard diagnostic test for telling uniaxial and biaxial minerals apart at the microscope.
For a genuinely uniaxial mineral viewed this way, that cross stays perfectly stationary if you rotate the stage - unlike a biaxial mineral, where it splits apart on rotation. That invariance is itself the standard diagnostic test for telling uniaxial and biaxial minerals apart at the microscope.
Optical Extinction:
Parallel - length fast
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
O - blue-green
E - almost colorles
E - almost colorles
Chemistry of Quetzalcoatlite
Mindat Formula:
Zn6Cu3(TeO6)2(OH)6 · AgxPbyClx+2y
Crystallography of Quetzalcoatlite
Crystal System:
Trigonal
Class (H-M):
3m(32/m) - Hexagonal Scalenohedral
Space Group:
P31m
Setting:
P31m
Cell Parameters:
a = 10.145(1) Å, c = 4.9925(9) Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 0.492
Unit Cell V:
445 ų
Z:
1
Morphology:
Needle-like hexagonal crystals, sprays, crystalline crusts.
Crystal Structure
Load
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Show
Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
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Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
Remove metal-metal sticks
Display Options
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
View
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
Rotation
Stop | Start
Stop | Start
Labels
Console Off | On | Grey | Yellow
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 | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0002428 | Quetzalcoatlite | Burns P C, Pluth J J, Smith J V, Eng P, Steele I M, Housley R M (2000) Quetzalcoatlite: New octahedral-tetrahedral structure from 2x2x40 micron crystal at the Advanced Photon Source-GSE-CARS Facility American Mineralogist 85 604-607 |  | 2000 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 8.752 Å | (100) |
| 2.748 Å | (70) |
| 2.520 Å | (42b) |
| 3.531 Å | (40) |
| 3.273 Å | (31) |
| 1.766 Å | (28) |
| 5.054 Å | (21) |
Geological Environment
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] | |
| 47g : [Halogen-bearing surface weathering minerals] |
Geological Setting:
Oxidation zone of tellurium bearing hydrothermal deposit.
Type Occurrence of Quetzalcoatlite
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
1) Natural History Museum, Paris, France.
2) The Natural History Museum, London, England, 1986,55.
3) National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian), Washington, D.C., USA, 135055.
2) The Natural History Museum, London, England, 1986,55.
3) National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian), Washington, D.C., USA, 135055.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Oxidation zone of tellurium bearing hydrothermal deposit.
Synonyms of Quetzalcoatlite
Other Language Names for Quetzalcoatlite
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 9 photos of Quetzalcoatlite associated with Kettnerite | CaBiCO3OF |
| 7 photos of Quetzalcoatlite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 4 photos of Quetzalcoatlite associated with Perite | PbBiClO2 |
| 4 photos of Quetzalcoatlite associated with Eurekadumpite | (Cu,Zn)16(TeO3)2(AsO4)3Cl(OH)18 · 7H2O |
| 3 photos of Quetzalcoatlite associated with Tlapallite | (Ca,Pb)3CaCu6[Te4+3Te6+O12]2(Te4+O3)2(SO4)2 · 3H2O |
| 3 photos of Quetzalcoatlite associated with Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| 2 photos of Quetzalcoatlite associated with Fluorite | CaF2 |
| 2 photos of Quetzalcoatlite associated with Azurite | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
| 2 photos of Quetzalcoatlite associated with Hemimorphite | Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O |
| 2 photos of Quetzalcoatlite associated with Dugganite | Pb3Zn3(AsO4)2(TeO6) |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 4.FE. | Nannoniite | Al2(OH)5F |
| 4.FE.05 | Brucite | Mg(OH)2 |
| 4.FE.05 | Theophrastite | Ni(OH)2 |
| 4.FE.05 | Amakinite | Fe2+(OH)2 |
| 4.FE.05 | Portlandite | Ca(OH)2 |
| 4.FE.05 | Pyrochroite | Mn(OH)2 |
| 4.FE.10 | Doyleite | Al(OH)3 |
| 4.FE.10 | Bayerite | Al(OH)3 |
| 4.FE.10 | Nordstrandite | Al(OH)3 |
| 4.FE.10 | Gibbsite | Al(OH)3 |
| 4.FE.15 | Lepidocrocite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| 4.FE.15 | Böhmite | AlO(OH) |
| 4.FE.20 | Heterogenite | Co3+O(OH) |
| 4.FE.20 | Grimaldiite | CrO(OH) |
| 4.FE.25 | Lithiophorite | (Al,Li)MnO2(OH)2 |
| 4.FE.25 | Feitknechtite | Mn3+O(OH) |
| 4.FE.30 | Quenselite | PbMnO2(OH) |
| 4.FE.35 | Ferrihydrite | Fe3+10O14(OH)2 |
| 4.FE.40 | Vernadite | (Mn4+,Fe3+,Ca,Na)(O,OH)2 · nH2O |
| 4.FE.40 | Feroxyhyte | Fe3+O(OH) |
| 4.FE.50 | Fuettererite | Pb3Cu2+6Te6+O6(OH)7Cl5 |
Other Information
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 Quetzalcoatlite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3343.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Quetzalcoatlite
Reference List:
Williams, Sidney A. (1973) Quetzalcoatlite, Cu4Zn8(TeO3)3(OH)18, a New Mineral from Moctezuma, Sonora. Mineralogical Magazine, 39 (303) 261-263 doi:10.1180/minmag.1973.039.303.01
Burns, Peter C., Pluth, Joseph J., Smith, Joseph V., Eng, Peter, Steele, Ian, Housley, Robert M. (2000) Quetzalcoatlite: A new octahedral-tetrahedral structure from a 2 × 2 × 40 μm3 crystal at the Advanced Photon Source-GSE-CARS Facility. American Mineralogist, 85 (3) 604-607 doi:10.2138/am-2000-0424
Localities for Quetzalcoatlite
Showing 12 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- 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).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Mexico | |
| |
| Williams (1973) +1 other reference |
USA | |
| American Mineralogist +2 other references |
| Burns et al. (2000) +3 other references |
| Thorne (n.d.) | |
| Collected by and in the collection of ... | |
| Collected by and in the collection of ... | |
| Kampf et al. (2022) |
| Collected by and in the collection of ... |
| Collected by and in the collection of ... | |
| Mandarino (1996) |
| SEM EDS confirmed by Rob Bowell. |
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Upper dumps, North Star Mine, Mammoth, Tintic Mining District, East Tintic Mountains, Utah, USA