Murphyite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Murphyite
Bruce J. Murphy (murphyite)
Formula:
Pb(Te6+O4)
Colour:
colorless to very pale yellow
Lustre:
Adamantine
Hardness:
3½
Specific Gravity:
7.579 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
Murphyite is named after Bruce J. Murphy (1952-2023), who provided the specimen for research on Te-bearing minerals. Bruce received his B.S. degree in geological engineering from the University of Arizona and retired after a distinguished career as an engineering geologist and consultant in the waste management industry. He has been a mineral collector for over 50 years, with a special interest in minerals from Arizona and specifically the Tombstone District and the Mammoth-Saint Anthony Mine. Bruce has provided numerous samples for scientific research worldwide.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
55963
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:55963:6
IMA Classification of Murphyite
Approved
Approval year:
2022
Classification of Murphyite
7.AD.
7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
A : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without additional anions, without H2O
D : With only large cations
7 : SULFATES (selenates, tellurates, chromates, molybdates, wolframates)
A : Sulfates (selenates, etc.) without additional anions, without H2O
D : With only large cations
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mpy | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Murphyite
Adamantine
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Colorless to very pale yellow
Streak:
White
Hardness:
3½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Perfect
{100}
{100}
Density:
7.579 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Chemistry of Murphyite
Mindat Formula:
Pb(Te6+O4)
Element Weights:
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Murphyite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
P21/b
Setting:
P21/a
Cell Parameters:
a = 13.6089(3) Å, b = 5.0175(1) Å, c = 5.5767(2) Å
β = 107.928(1)°
β = 107.928(1)°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 2.712 : 1 : 1.111
Unit Cell V:
362.30 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Twinning:
common on {100}, forming so-called fish-tail twins
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 3.655 Å | (100) |
| 3.604 Å | (43) |
| 3.513 Å | (69) |
| 3.235 Å | (34) |
| 2.768 Å | (51) |
| 2.718 Å | (57) |
| 2.515 Å | (48) |
| 1.857 Å | (55) |
Comments:
From Type Description.
Type Occurrence of Murphyite
General Appearance of Type Material:
bladed or prismatic crystals
up to 0.20 x 0.05 x 0.05 mm in size
up to 0.20 x 0.05 x 0.05 mm in size
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Type material is deposited in the collections of the University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum, 15 N Church Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701, USA, catalogue no. 22715 (holotype), and the RRUFF Project, deposition no. R210011 (cotype)
Geological Setting of Type Material:
a Ag-Au-Pb-Cu-Zn deposit in which the ore, consisting principally of oxidized Ag- and Au-bearing galena,
occurs in faulted and fractured portions of a large dike
hosted by the Bisbee Group limestone
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Murphyite
Other Language Names for Murphyite
Common Associates
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 7.AD. | Bubnovaite | K2Na8Ca(SO4)6 |
| 7.AD. | Dobrovolskyite | Na4Ca(SO4)3 |
| 7.AD. | Calciolangbeinite | K2Ca2(SO4)3 |
| 7.AD. | Cuprodobrovolskyite | Na4Cu(SO4)3 |
| 7.AD. | Kristjánite | KNa2H(SO4)2 |
| 7.AD.05 | Mascagnite | (NH4)2SO4 |
| 7.AD.05 | Arcanite | K2SO4 |
| 7.AD.10 | Mercallite | KHSO4 |
| 7.AD.15 | Misenite | K8H6(SO4)7 |
| 7.AD.20 | Letovicite | (NH4)3H(SO4)2 |
| 7.AD.25 | Thénardite | Na2SO4 |
| 7.AD.25 | Glauberite | Na2Ca(SO4)2 |
| 7.AD.30 | Metathénardite | Na2SO4 |
| 7.AD.30 | Anhydrite | CaSO4 |
| 7.AD.35 | Baryte | BaSO4 |
| 7.AD.35 | Celestine | SrSO4 |
| 7.AD.35 | Olsacherite | Pb2(Se6+O4)(SO4) |
| 7.AD.35 | Anglesite | PbSO4 |
| 7.AD.40 | Kalistrontite | K2Sr(SO4)2 |
| 7.AD.40 | Palmierite | K2Pb(SO4)2 |
| 7.AD.45 | Ivsite | Na3H(SO4)2 |
| 7.AD.55 | Markhininite | TlBi(SO4)2 |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Murphyite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-55963.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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External Links:
References for Murphyite
Localities for Murphyite
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
USA (TL) | |
| Miyawaki et al. (2022) +1 other reference |
Quick NavTopAbout MurphyiteUnique IdentifiersIMA Classification Classification Mineral SymbolsPhysical Properties Chemistry Crystallography X-Ray Powder DiffractionType Occurrence SynonymsOther LanguagesCommon AssociatesStrunz-MindatOther InformationInternet Links References Localities Locality List
Grand Central Mine, Contention-Grand Central Mine group, Tombstone Mining District, Cochise County, Arizona, USA