THE MINERAL MOCTEZUMITE


Moctezumite is a very rare tellurium mineral discovered in 1965 by Richard Gaines (1917 - 1999), an American minerologist. Its type locality is the Moctezuma Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico, hence the name. The Moctezuma Mine is famous for rare telllurium minerals. Other minerals from here include: bambollaite, cliffordite, denningite, emmonsite, spiroffite, tellurium and zemannite. Not only is moctezumite a tellurium mineral, it is also a uranium mineral. The uranium ion in moctezumite is part of a group of ions called the uranyl ion group. The uranyl ion group, UO2, is unusual in that it is a positively charged (+2) ion group. Most ionic groups, especially those that contain oxygen are negatively charged such as the sulfate ion group, SO4-2; carbonate ion group, CO3-2; borate ion group, BO3-3; phosphate ion group, PO4-3; tellurite ion group, TeO3-2 and the silicate ion group, SiO4-4. Another positively charged ion group is the ammonium ion group, NH4+1, found in only a few minerals. Remember, moctezumite is a radioactive mineral and should be stored away from minerals that are affected by radioactivity and of course human exposure should be limited.

THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

 

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