Temagamite is a bright white palladium mercury telluride mineral with a hardness of 2+12 on the Mohs scale. Its chemical formula is Pd3HgTe3. It was discovered at the Temagami Mine on Temagami Island, Lake Temagami in 1973,[4] and it represents a rare mineral in the Temagami Greenstone Belt.

Temagamite
General
CategoryTelluride mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
Pd3HgTe3
IMA symbolTem[1]
Strunz classification2.BC.50
Crystal systemOrthorhombic
Unknown space group
Identification
ColorBright white to grey
Crystal habitmicroscopic included grains
Mohs scale hardness2.5
LusterMetallic
DiaphaneityOpaque
Specific gravity9.5
PleochroismWeak
References[2][3][4]

It occurs as microscopic inclusions within massive chalcopyrite at Temagami in association with other rare tellurides: merenskyite, stützite, hessite and an unnamed Pd-Hg-Ag telluride.[5] In addition to the discovery locality, it has been reported from the Stillwater igneous complex in Montana and the New Rambler coppernickel mine in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Wyoming.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ http://webmineral.com/data/Temagamite.shtml Webmineral data
  3. ^ a b http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/temagamite.pdf Mineral Handbook
  4. ^ a b http://www.mindat.org/min-3908.html Temagamite: Temagamite mineral information and data Retrieved on 2007-08-30
  5. ^ http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/cm/vol12/CM12_193.pdf Canadian Mineralogist, Vol. ll pp. 193-198 (1973)