Altaite

Altaite, or lead telluride, is a yellowish white mineral with an isometric crystal structure. Altaite is in the galena group of minerals as it shares many of properties of galena. Altaite has an unusually high density for a light-colored mineral. Altaite and other rare tellurides are classified in the sulfide mineral class (Dana classification).

Altaite
Silvery veins and flecks of altaite throughout the matrix from the Hilltop Mine, Organ District, Doña Ana County, New Mexico (size: 3.5 x 2.9 x 1.9 cm)
General
CategoryTelluride mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
PbTe
IMA symbolAlt[1]
Strunz classification2.CD.10
Crystal systemIsometric
Crystal classHexoctahedral (m3m)
H-M symbol: (4/m 3 2/m)
Space groupFm3m
Identification
Formula mass334.8 g/mol
Colortin white to yellowish white; tarnishing to bronze yellow
Crystal habitinclude cubic and octahedral crystals; but much more commonly found in massive and granular forms
Cleavageperfect in three directions forming cubes
FractureUneven
Mohs scale hardness2.5 - 3
Lustermetallic
StreakBlack
Specific gravity8.2 - 8.3
References[2][3]

Altaite was discovered in 1845 in the Altai Mountains. Besides these mountains altaite can also be found in Zyryanovsk, Kazakhstan; the Ritchie Creek Deposit in Price County, Wisconsin; the Koch-Bulak gold deposit in Kazakhstan; Moctezuma, Mexico; and Coquimbo, Chile among other locations.

See also

References

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