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New Mineral Names

  • Christopher Emproto and Travis A. Olds
Published/Copyright: July 31, 2024
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American Mineralogist
From the journal American Mineralogist Volume 109 Issue 8

Abstract

This issue of New Mineral Names highlights some of the newly described minerals as reported by the IMA and recently published/in press articles from January–March 2024. The minerals included are: pfaffenbergite, pabellóndepicaite, allanite-(Sm), heflikite, kvačekite, and bimbowrieite.

Recently Approved

This section features just a few of the 30 minerals approved by the IMA-CNMNC for the period of January to April 2024; see Table 1 for the list and cursory details of all 30 minerals (Bosi et al. 2024a, 2024b).

Table 1

New minerals approved by the IMA-CNMNC from January–March 2024a

Mineral Formula IMAb Space group Type locality area Country New RN New ST
Ferrimuirite Ba10(Ca2 Fe23+ )[Si8O24]O2Cl10 2023-100 P4mm Gun claim Canada n n
Pabellóndepicaite Cu22+ (N3C2H2)2(NH3)2(NO3)Cl·2H2O 2023-104 Pnna Pabellón de Pica Chile y y
Tantalaeschynite-(Ce) Ce(TiTa)O6 2023-058 Pnma Huangshan pegmatite China n n
Nipeiite-(Ce) Ce9Fe3+(SiO4)6[SiO3(OH)](OH)3 2022-106a R3c Taiping China y n
Nigelcookite PbFe22+V23+ (PO4)3(OH)3 2023-113 P21/m Yushui deposit China y n
Plumbojohntomaite PbFe22+Fe23+ (PO4)3(OH)3 2023-119 P21/m Yushui deposit China n n
Kvacekite NiSbSe 2023-095 P213 Bukov mine Czech Rep. y n
Karlleuite Ca2MnO4 2023-102 I4/mmm Caspar quarry Germany y –
Fluor-rewitzerite [(H2O)K]Mn2(Al2Ti)(PO4)4(OF)(H2O)10·4 H2O 2023-115 P21/c Hägendorf Süd pegmatite Germany n n
Sperlingite (H2O)K(Mn2+Fe3+)(Al2Ti)(PO4)4[O(OH)][(H2O)9(OH)]·4 H2O 2023-120 P21/c Hägendorf Süd pegmatite Germany y –
Pfaffenbergite KNa3(Al4Si12)O32 2023-105 P6/mmc Pfaffenberg Germany y n
Moragite Ca3TiSi2(Al2Si3)O14 2023-088 P321 Hartrurim basin Israel y n
Yamhamelachite KCrP2O7 2023-103 P21/c Hartrurim basin Israel y –
Bacaferrite BaCaFe4O8 2023-109 P31m Hartrurim basin Israel y y
Midbarite Ca3Mg2(V2Si)O12 2023-110 la3d Hartrurim basin Israel y n
Shiranuiite Cu+(Rh3+Rh4+)S4 2023-072a Fd3m Haraigawa Japan y n
Rinmanite-(Zn) Zn2Sb2( Fe43+ Zn2)O14(OH)2 2023-107 P63mc Near Nežilovo N. Macedonia n n
Cafeosite Ca4Fe32+Fe23+ O6S4 2021-022a Cmce Dhofar 225 meteorite Oman y –
Allanite-(Sm) CaSm(Al2Fe2+)(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH) 2023-114 P21/m Jordanów serpentinite quarry Poland n n
Fluor-rossmanite □(Al2Li)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3F 2023-111 R3m Krutaya pegmatite Russia n n
Manganohatertite NaNaCa(MnFe3+)(AsO4)3 2023-098 C2/c Tolbachik volcano Russia n n
Vladkuzminite K4CuZn3(AsO4)4 2023-106 P21/n Tolbachik volcano Russia y y
Geuerite Ag2Tl4Pb4As22S40 2019-027a P21/c Lengenbach quarry Switzerland y n
Giuşcăite Ag2Tl4Pb4As20Sb2S40 2023-099 Pn Lengenbach quarry Switzerland y n
Reckibachite Ag2Pb12As14Sb4S40 2019-071 P21/c Reckibach Switzerland y n
Rundqvistite-(Ce) Na3(Sr3Ce)[Zn2Si8O24] 2023-043 P21/c Dara-i-Pioz massif Tajikistan y n
Fanguangite (MoO2)(PO3OH)·4H2O 2023-112 P1 Freedom No. 2 mine U.S.A. y y
Siligiite [Pb(H2O)5(SO4)][Zn9(OH)18] 2023-117 P21/n Redmond mine U.S.A. y y
Ferriphoxite [(NH4)2K(H2O)][Fe3+(HPO4)2(C2O4)] 2023-096 P21/c Rowley mine U.S.A. y y
Carboferriphoxite [(NH4)K(H2CO3)][Fe3+(HPO4)(H2PO4)(C2O4)] 2023-097 P1 Rowley mine U.S.A. n y

  1. Notes: The type locality names have been simplified for readability on a chart and are organized by type locality and country of origin. The “New RN” column conveys which mineral names introduce a new root name. The “New ST” column displays which minerals are new structure types. The dash symbol in the “New ST” column indicates cases where it is unclear if the structure is novel.

  2. a All minerals have been approved by the IMA-CNMNC. For a complete listing of all IMA-validated unnamed minerals and their codes, see http://cnmnc.units.it/ (click “IMA list of minerals”). The data contained within this chart were derived from Newsletters 77 and 78 (Bosi et al. 2024a, 2024b); individual references for each mineral can be found within. b Published or in-press (as of May 2024).

Pfaffenbergite, KNa3(Al4Si12)O32

Pfaffenbergite (IMA2023-105), ideally KNa3(Al4Si12)O32, is a new mineral isostructural with kokchetavite and wodegongjieite (Ferrero et al. 2024). The structure of pfaffenbergite is hexagonal, space group P6/mmc with cell parameters a = 10.258(3) and c = 14.775(5) Å. Pfaffenbergite, kokchetavite, and wodegongjieite have a sheet silicate structure with a topology identical to that of cymrite, wherein two tetrahedral sheets are joined by bridging apical O atoms with no octahedral sheet (Romanenko et al. 2021; Mugnaioli et al. 2022). The type specimen was collected at Pfaffenberg in Saxony, Germany, and its location of discovery is the origin of the new mineral’s name. Pfaffenberg hosts exposures of the Paleozoic-aged Bohemian massif, the core of which consists of a suite of high-pressure rocks, including eclogite, granulite, and garnet peridotite units. Pfaffenbergite, kokchetavite, and wodegongjieite were all first discovered in high-pressure rocks (Hwang et al. 2004; Xiong et al. 2020; Borghini et al. 2024). Kokchetavite has been reported elsewhere in the Bohemian massif (Ferrero et al. 2016). Type material is deposited at the University of Cagliari Leonard De Prunner Museum of Mineralogy, Via Trentino, Cagliari, Italy, with the designation “FIB foil no. 6461.”

Pabellóndepicaite, Cu22+ (N3C2H2)2(NH3)2(NO3)Cl·2H2O

Pabellóndepicaite (IMA2023-104), ideally Cu22+ (N3C2H2)2(NH3)2(NO3)Cl·2H2O, was described from a guano deposit at Pabellón de Pica in Tarapacá, Chile. Pabellóndepicaite is the third triazolate mineral and 10th new mineral described from Pabellón de Pica, where an unusual suite of minerals has formed in a unique environment in which halite and a weathered chalcopyrite-bearing gabbro are found in proximity to a marine guano deposit. Type material is deposited in the collection of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California, U.S.A., with catalog number 76305. This small coastal mineral occurrence achieved notoriety following the publication of chanabayaite, ideally CuCl(N3C2H2)(NH3)·0.25H2O (IMA2013-065; Chukanov et al. 2015), which was named “Mineral of the Year” in 2015 by the IMA-CNMNC. Due to the dry environment, decomposition of avian organic material (guano, shells, bones, etc.) at Pabellón de Pica occurs slowly. In moist guano environments, nitrogenous materials are often washed away, leaving a primarily phosphatic residue (Košek et al. 2023).

Allanite-(Sm), (CaSm)(AlAlFe2+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)

Allanite-(Sm), ideally (CaSm)(AlAlFe2+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH), is a new Sm-dominant member of the epidote supergroup from a serpentinite quarry hosting granitic pegmatite dikes located near Jordanów Śląski, Poland (Pieczka et al. 2024a). With the addition of allanite-(Sm), there are now La, Ce, Nd, Sm, and Y members of the allanite group. Based on the lanthanide chemistry of known minerals, Gd and Yb end-members may also exist; however, light rare earth element (i.e., La, Ce, Nd) enrichment is more commonly encountered than heavy rare earth element (i.e., Y and Yb) enrichment in allanite. Middle rare earth element enrichment to an extent that warrants species status is extremely rare among minerals. Allanite-(Sm) is only the sixth mineral described to date with a middle rare earth element as an essential, site-defining element. Like other members of the epidote supergroup, allanite-(Sm) is monoclinic with P2/m symmetry. The cell parameters for allanite-(Sm) are a = 8.8923(6), b = 5.7005(3), c = 10.1280(8) Å, β = 115.445(9)°. Compared to the much more common group member allanite-(Ce) (a = 8.927, b = 5.761, c = 10.15 Å, β = 114.77°, V = 473.97 Å3), the unit-cell volume of allanite-(Sm) (463.59 Å3) is only marginally smaller than that of allanite-(Ce), an effect of lanthanide contraction. Based on experimental data, the unit-cell volume of (La,Y)-allanite decreases as Y concentration increases (Affholter 1987). Allanite-(Sm) is the first silicate mineral with essential Sm and the first middle rare earth element silicate mineral to be described. As such, the combination of Sm and Si alone makes the formula for allanite-(Sm) a currently unique combination of elements (www.mindat.org, retrieved May 2024). The serpentinite quarry where allanite-(Sm) was discovered is also the co-type locality for another chemically unusual member of the epidote supergroup—the new Sc-bearing mineral heflikite (Pieczka et al. 2024b). Type material is deposited at the University of Wrocław Mineralogical Museum in Wrocław, Poland, with catalog number MMUWr IV8151.

Recently Published

This section includes some of the minerals approved in 2023 and 2024 that have been recently published (or entered press).

Heflikite, Ca2(Al2Sc)(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)

Heflikite, ideally Ca2(Al2Sc)(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH), is another new member of the epidote supergroup, also described from the serpentinite quarry near Jordanów Śląski, Poland (Pieczka et al. 2024b). Heflikite is the first Sc-bearing member of the epidote supergroup, and there are currently 23 minerals with essential Sc as of the time of writing. Heflikite occurs within granitic pegmatites that have intruded serpentinites of the Paleozoic-aged Ślęża ophiolite in the Bohemian massif. Sc-enriched epidote was first noted in scanning electron microscopy work in the late 1990s. More recent electron microprobe analyses identified Sc-rich zones within crystals that warranted its description as this new mineral. Pieczka et al. (2024) used focused ion beam (FIB) techniques to retrieve a foil of the Sc-rich zones for characterization. The structure of the heflikite holotype specimen was refined in space group P21/m with a = 8.9383(9) Å, b = 5.6830(5) Å, c = 10.1903(10) Å, β = 115.43(12)°. The holotype specimen is stored in the collections of the University of Wrocław Mineralogical Museum in Wrocław, Poland (catalog number MMUWr IV8120), and a co-type specimen is deposited in the collections of the Natural History Museum of the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway, with catalog number KNR 44407.

Kvačekite, NiSbSe

Kvačekite, ideally NiSbSe, is a new selenide member of the cobaltite group from the Bukov Mine, Vysočina Region, Czech Republic (Pauliš et al. 2024). Kvačekite is isometric with P213 symmetry, a = 6.0901(13) Å. Within the cobaltite group, the most direct chemical analog of kvačekite is its S analog, ullmanite (NiSbS). Prior to its discovery in nature, powder diffraction experiments on synthetic material had earlier described an ullmanite structure for NiSbSe (Foecker and Jeitschko 2001). Despite its chemical simplicity, kvačekite has a unique combination of essential elements among known minerals. In fact, minerals with any combination of Ni, Sb, or Se are uncommon. According to www.mindat.org (accessed May 2024), there are only 12 Ni-Se minerals, 18 Ni-Sb minerals, and 14 Sb-Se minerals (kvačekite is counted in all three metrics). Despite the chemical diversity within the cobaltite group, microprobe data indicate that the type material investigated by Pauliš et al. (2024) represents near-end-member kvačekite with an empirical formula of (Ni0.95Cu0.04Co0.03)Σ1.02Sb1.00(Se0.97S0.01)Σ0.98. Type material is stored in the collection of the National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic, with catalog number P1P 26/2023.

Bimbowrieite, NaMg Fe53+ (PO4)4(OH)6·2H2O

Bimbowrieite (IMA2020-006), ideally NaMg Fe53+ (PO4)4(OH)6·2H2O, is a new phosphate mineral in the dufrénite group discovered at the White Rock No. 2 quarry in South Australia, Australia (Elliott and Kampf 2024). Like other members of the dufrénite group, bimbowrieite is monoclinic with space group C2/c. The White Rock No. 2 quarry exposes a rare element enriched pegmatite hosting late-stage phosphate nodules. Primary magmatic apatite has been hydrothermally altered and weathered under acidic, oxidizing conditions to give rise to secondary phosphate minerals such as triplite. Bimbowrieite occurs alongside bermanite, ushkovite, sellaite, and leucophosphite in seams within a triplite-apatite matrix. The White Rock No. 2 quarry is also the type or co-type locality for three other minerals (all phosphates): whiterockite, jahnsite-(NaMnMg), and magnesiobermanite. Bimbowrieite was named for the Bimbowrie Conservation Park. The park was, in turn, named after the old Bimbowrie sheep station. The conservation park was established by the government of South Australia in 2010 with ecological, historical, and geological conservation goals. Type material is stored with registration number G34867 in the collection of the South Australian Museum in Adelaide, Australia.

* All minerals have been approved by the IMA CNMMC. For a complete listing of all IMA-validated unnamed minerals and their codes, see http://cnmnc.units.it/ (click “IMA list of minerals”).

References cited

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Published Online: 2024-07-31
Published in Print: 2024-08-27

© 2024 by Mineralogical Society of America

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Fingerprinting the source and complex history of ore fluids of a giant lode gold deposit using quartz textures and in-situ oxygen isotopes
  2. Cu isotope fractionation between Cu-bearing phases and hydrothermal fluids: Insights from ex situ and in situ experiments
  3. Barium mobility in a geothermal environment, Yellowstone National Park
  4. Single-crystal elasticity of humite-group minerals by Brillouin scattering
  5. Sulfur speciation in dacitic melts using X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy of the S K-edge (S-XANES): Consideration of radiation-induced changes and the implications for sulfur in natural arc systems
  6. Ab initio calculations and crystal structure simulations for mixed layer compounds from the tetradymite series
  7. A fast open data reduction workflow for the electron microprobe flank method to determine Fe3+/ΣFe contents in minerals
  8. Machine learning applied to apatite compositions for determining mineralization potential
  9. Reconstructing volatile exsolution in a porphyry ore-forming magma chamber: Perspectives from apatite inclusions
  10. Incommensurate to normal phase transition in malayaite
  11. Raman spectroscopic measurements on San Carlos olivine up to 14 GPa and 800 K: Implications for thermodynamic properties
  12. Chemical and boron isotopic composition of tourmaline from the Yixingzhai gold deposit, North China Craton: Proxies for ore fluids evolution and mineral exploration
  13. Tourmaline chemical and boron isotopic constraints on the magmatic-hydrothermal transition and rare-metal mineralization in alkali granitic systems
  14. New Mineral Names
https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2024-NMN109814

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Fingerprinting the source and complex history of ore fluids of a giant lode gold deposit using quartz textures and in-situ oxygen isotopes
  2. Cu isotope fractionation between Cu-bearing phases and hydrothermal fluids: Insights from ex situ and in situ experiments
  3. Barium mobility in a geothermal environment, Yellowstone National Park
  4. Single-crystal elasticity of humite-group minerals by Brillouin scattering
  5. Sulfur speciation in dacitic melts using X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy of the S K-edge (S-XANES): Consideration of radiation-induced changes and the implications for sulfur in natural arc systems
  6. Ab initio calculations and crystal structure simulations for mixed layer compounds from the tetradymite series
  7. A fast open data reduction workflow for the electron microprobe flank method to determine Fe3+/ΣFe contents in minerals
  8. Machine learning applied to apatite compositions for determining mineralization potential
  9. Reconstructing volatile exsolution in a porphyry ore-forming magma chamber: Perspectives from apatite inclusions
  10. Incommensurate to normal phase transition in malayaite
  11. Raman spectroscopic measurements on San Carlos olivine up to 14 GPa and 800 K: Implications for thermodynamic properties
  12. Chemical and boron isotopic composition of tourmaline from the Yixingzhai gold deposit, North China Craton: Proxies for ore fluids evolution and mineral exploration
  13. Tourmaline chemical and boron isotopic constraints on the magmatic-hydrothermal transition and rare-metal mineralization in alkali granitic systems
  14. New Mineral Names
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