Creamy white microcrystals of the extremely rare Hg tellurite mineral magnolite from Mountain Lion Mine (Magnolia District, Boulder County, Colorado, United States of America) a locality close to the TL, associated to minoritary coloradoite. Ex Vandenbroucke Museum collection from Waregem, Belgium. — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY-SA 4.0
Magnolite
Magnolite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the oxides & hydroxide class, with the chemical formula Hg¹⁺₂(Te⁴⁺O₃).
It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system (space group Pbm2).
Key properties: specific gravity 8.12; Pale brown streak; Adamantine, silky in aggregates luster; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Mno, grandfathered status — known before the IMA’s founding, named in 1877.
A late alteration product of coloradoite, formed at low temperature and oxygen fugacity, in the oxidized zone of complex polymetallic hydrothermal mineral deposits.
It is found associated with Mercury, coloradoite, tellurite, gold, tellurium, keystoneite, “limonite”, manganese oxides, quartz.
The name refers to the Magnolia district, Colorado, USA, in which the species was first noted.