Temagamite
Encyclopedia
Temagamite is a bright white palladium
mercury
telluride mineral
with a hardness of 2½ on the Mohs scale
. Its chemical formula is Pd
3Hg
Te3. It was discovered at the Temagami Mine on Temagami Island
, Lake Temagami
in 1973, and it represents a rare mineral in the Temagami greenstone belt
.
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. In addition to the discovery locality, it has been reported from the Stillwater igneous complex
in Montana and the New Rambler copper
–nickel
mine in the Medicine Bow Mountains
of Wyoming
.
Palladium
Palladium is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pd and an atomic number of 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired...
mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
telluride mineral
Telluride mineral
A telluride mineral is a mineral that has the telluride anion as a main component.Tellurides are similar to sulfides and are grouped with them in both the Dana and Strunz mineral classification systems.Examples include:* calaverite* hessite* rickardite...
with a hardness of 2½ on the Mohs scale
Mohs scale of mineral hardness
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material. It was created in 1812 by the German geologist and mineralogist Friedrich Mohs and is one of several definitions of hardness in...
. Its chemical formula is Pd
Palladium
Palladium is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pd and an atomic number of 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired...
3Hg
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
Te3. It was discovered at the Temagami Mine on Temagami Island
Temagami Island
Temagami Island, formerly spelt as Timagami Island, is an island in Lake Temagami in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the largest island within the lake, with Bear Island coming second. The island has many hiking trails that lead into the old-growth forest that is a mix of large white and red...
, Lake Temagami
Lake Temagami
Lake Temagami, formerly spelt as Lake Timagami, is a lake in Nipissing District in northeastern Ontario, Canada, situated approximately 80 km north of North Bay...
in 1973, and it represents a rare mineral in the Temagami greenstone belt
Temagami greenstone belt
The Temagami greenstone belt, also known as the Temagami volcanic belt and the Temagami metavolcanic belt, is a small 2.7 billion year old greenstone belt in the Temagami region of Northeastern Ontario, Canada...
.
It occurs as microscopic inclusions within massive chalcopyrite
Chalcopyrite
Chalcopyrite is a copper iron sulfide mineral that crystallizes in the tetragonal system. It has the chemical composition CuFeS2. It has a brassy to golden yellow color and a hardness of 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale. Its streak is diagnostic as green tinged black.On exposure to air, chalcopyrite...
at Temagami in association with other rare tellurides: merenskyite
Merenskyite
Merenskyite is a rare telluride / bismuthinide mineral with formula: 2. It is an opaque white to light gray metallic mineral that occurs as inclusions within other minerals such as chalcopyrite...
, stützite
Stützite
Stützite or stuetzite is a silver telluride mineral with formula: Ag5−xTe3 or Ag7Te4.It was first described in 1951 from a museum specimen from Sacarimb, Romania. It was named for Austrian mineralogist Xavier Stütz ....
, hessite
Hessite
Hessite is a mineral form of disilver telluride . It is a soft, dark grey telluride mineral which forms monoclinic crystals.It is named after Germain Henri Hess ....
and an unnamed Pd-Hg-Ag telluride. In addition to the discovery locality, it has been reported from the Stillwater igneous complex
Stillwater igneous complex
The Stillwater igneous complex is a large layered intrusion located in southern Montana in Stillwater, Sweet Grass and Park Counties. The complex is exposed across 30 miles of the north flank of the Beartooth Mountain Range. The complex has extensive reserves of chromium ore and has a history of...
in Montana and the New Rambler copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
–nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
mine in the Medicine Bow Mountains
Medicine Bow Mountains
The Medicine Bow Mountains are a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains that extend for from northern Colorado into southern Wyoming. The northern extent of this range is the sub-range the Snowy Range...
of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
.