Moschelite

A valid IMA mineral species

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Formula:

[Hg₂]²⁺I₂

Colour:

Citrus-yellow, changing immediately to dark olive-green on exposure to light

Lustre:

Adamantine

Hardness:

1 - 2

Crystal System:

Tetragonal

Member of:

Calomel Group

Name:

Named after the locality

Type Locality:

ⓘ Backofen Mine, Landsberg, Obermoschel, Nordpfälzer Land, Donnersbergkreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

See also the other known natural mercury iodide, coccinite.

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Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

2788

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:2788:1

IMA Classification of MoscheliteHide

IMA status:

Approved

IMA Formula:

Hg¹⁺I^1-

Approval year:

1987

Classification of MoscheliteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):

3.AA.30

3 : HALIDES
A : Simple halides, without H₂O
A : M:X = 1:1, 2:3, 3:5, etc.

Dana 8th ed.:

9.1.8.3

9 : NORMAL HALIDES
1 : AX

Hey's CIM Ref.:

8.5.10

8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
5 : Halides of Zn and Hg

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference for Standard
Msch	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 MoscheliteHide

Lustre:

Adamantine

Colour:

Citrus-yellow, changing immediately to dark olive-green on exposure to light

Streak:

Brown

Hardness:

1 - 2 on Mohs scale

Tenacity:

Sectile

Chemistry of MoscheliteHide

Mindat Formula:

[Hg₂]²⁺I₂

Element Weights:

Element	% weight
Hg	61.250 %
I	38.750 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.

Elements listed:

Hg, I - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of MoscheliteHide

Crystal System:

Tetragonal

Class (H-M):

4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) - Ditetragonal Dipyramidal

Space Group:

I4/mmm

Cell Parameters:

a = 4.8974(9) Å, c = 11.649(2) Å

Ratio:

a:c = 1 : 2.379

Unit Cell V:

279.4 Å³

Twinning:

May be twinned by non-merohedry.

Crystal StructureHide

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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure

ID	Species	Reference	Year	Locality	Temp (K)
0018645	Moschelite	Kars M, Roisnel T, Dorcet V, Rebbah A, Carlos O D L (2012) Redetermination of Hg2I2 Acta Crystallographica E68 i11-i11	2012	synthetic	293
0017973	Moschelite	Huggins M, Magill P (1927) The crystal stuctures of mercuric and mercurous iodides _cod_database_code 1011075 Journal of the American Chemical Society 49 2357-2367	1927		293
0017976	Moschelite	Havighurst R (1926) Parameters in crystal structure. The mercurous halides _cod_database_code 1011078 Journal of the American Chemical Society 48 2113-2125	1926		293
0018204	Moschelite	Havighurst R (1925) Crystal structure of the mercurous halides _cod_database_code 1011370 American Journal of Science 10 15-28	1925		293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Moschelite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Kars M'
'Roisnel T'
'Dorcet V'
'Rebbah A'
'Carlos O D L'
_journal_name_full 'Acta Crystallographica, Section E'
_journal_volume 68 
_journal_year 2012
_journal_page_first i11
_journal_page_last i11
_publ_section_title
;
 Redetermination of Hg2I2
;
_database_code_amcsd 0018645
_chemical_compound_source 'Synthetic'
_chemical_formula_sum 'Hg I'
_cell_length_a 4.8974
_cell_length_b 4.8974
_cell_length_c 11.649
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
_cell_angle_gamma 90
_cell_volume 279.396
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      7.786
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'I 4/m m m'
loop_
_space_group_symop_operation_xyz
  'x,y,z'
  '1/2+x,1/2+y,1/2+z'
  '-y,-x,z'
  '1/2-y,1/2-x,1/2+z'
  'y,x,-z'
  '1/2+y,1/2+x,1/2-z'
  'y,-x,-z'
  '1/2+y,1/2-x,1/2-z'
  '-y,x,z'
  '1/2-y,1/2+x,1/2+z'
  'x,-y,z'
  '1/2+x,1/2-y,1/2+z'
  '-x,y,-z'
  '1/2-x,1/2+y,1/2-z'
  'x,y,-z'
  '1/2+x,1/2+y,1/2-z'
  '-x,-y,z'
  '1/2-x,1/2-y,1/2+z'
  'y,x,z'
  '1/2+y,1/2+x,1/2+z'
  '-y,-x,-z'
  '1/2-y,1/2-x,1/2-z'
  '-y,x,-z'
  '1/2-y,1/2+x,1/2-z'
  'y,-x,z'
  '1/2+y,1/2-x,1/2+z'
  '-x,y,z'
  '1/2-x,1/2+y,1/2+z'
  'x,-y,-z'
  '1/2+x,1/2-y,1/2-z'
  '-x,-y,-z'
  '1/2-x,1/2-y,1/2-z'
loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
_atom_site_U_iso_or_equiv
Hg   0.00000   0.00000   0.11118   0.02630
I   0.00000   0.00000   0.34524   0.02070
loop_
_atom_site_aniso_label
_atom_site_aniso_U_11
_atom_site_aniso_U_22
_atom_site_aniso_U_33
_atom_site_aniso_U_12
_atom_site_aniso_U_13
_atom_site_aniso_U_23
Hg 0.03560 0.03560 0.00780 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
I 0.02710 0.02710 0.00790 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
3.483 Å	(10)
2.231 Å	(9)
2.896 Å	(6)
2.099 Å	(6)
4.537 Å	(2)
1.881 Å	(2)
1.242 Å	(2)

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
High-? alteration and/or metamorphism
33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12])
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event	<2.4
47g : [Halogen-bearing surface weathering minerals]
Stage 10a: Neoproterozoic oxygenation/terrestrial biosphere	<0.6
50 : Coal and/or oil shale minerals	<0.36

Type Occurrence of MoscheliteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Backofen Mine, Landsberg, Obermoschel, Nordpfälzer Land, Donnersbergkreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Synonyms of MoscheliteHide

IMA1987-038

Other Language Names for MoscheliteHide

Dutch:Moscheliet

German:Moschelit

Russian:Мошелит

Spanish:Moschelita

Relationship of Moschelite to other SpeciesHide

Member of:

Calomel Group

Other Members of Calomel Group:

Calomel	[Hg₂]²⁺Cl₂	Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : I4/mmm
Kuzminite	HgBr	Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : I4/mmm

Common AssociatesHide

Associations Based on Photo Data:

1 photo of Moschelite associated with Kuzminite	HgBr
1 photo of Moschelite associated with Native Mercury	Hg

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

3.AA.	Brontesite	(NH₄)₃PbCl₅	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
3.AA.	Bromammoniac	NH₄Br	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Pm3m
3.AA.05	Marshite	CuI	Iso. 43m : F43m
3.AA.05	Nantokite	CuCl	Iso. 43m : F43m
3.AA.05	'UM1999-11:I:CuS'	Cu(I,S)
3.AA.05	Miersite	(Ag,Cu)I	Iso. 43m : F43m
3.AA.10	Tocornalite	(Ag,Hg)I (?)	Hex.
3.AA.10	Iodargyrite	AgI	Hex. 6mm : P6mm
3.AA.15	Bromargyrite	AgBr	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fm3m
3.AA.15	Chlorargyrite	AgCl	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fm3m
3.AA.20	Sylvite	KCl	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fm3m
3.AA.20	Halite	NaCl	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fm3m
3.AA.20	Villiaumite	NaF	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
3.AA.20	Carobbiite	KF	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fm3m
3.AA.20	Griceite	LiF	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fm3m
3.AA.25	'UM1998-03-Cl:Tl'	TlCl
3.AA.25	Nataliyamalikite	TlI	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Cmcm
3.AA.25	Lafossaite	Tl(Cl,Br)	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Pm3m
3.AA.25	Salammoniac	NH₄Cl	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m)
3.AA.30	Calomel	[Hg₂]²⁺Cl₂	Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : I4/mmm
3.AA.30	Kuzminite	HgBr	Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : I4/mmm
3.AA.35	Neighborite	NaMgF₃	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
3.AA.35	Parascandolaite	KMgF₃	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Pm3m
3.AA.40	Javorieite	KFeCl₃	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
3.AA.40	Chlorocalcite	KCaCl₃	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
3.AA.45	Kolarite	PbTeCl₂	Orth.
3.AA.50	Radhakrishnaite	PbTe₃(Cl,S)₂	Tet.
3.AA.55	Challacolloite	KPb₂Cl₅	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
3.AA.60	Hephaistosite	TlPb₂Cl₅	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
3.AA.90	Pseudocotunnite	K₂PbCl₄	Orth.

Other InformationHide

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 MoscheliteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-2788.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

Mineral Dealers:

Buy from D. Joyce minerals

References for MoscheliteHide

Reference List:

Nest, J. S. van (1910) Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Quecksilberhalogenide. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 47 (1-6). p.263-272. doi:10.1524/zkri.1910.47.1.263

Krupp, R.; Nottes, G.; Heidtke, U. (1985) Zur Kenntnis einiger natürlich vorkommender Quecksilber-Halogen-Verbindungen besonders des Jodquecksilbers, im Moschellandsberg/Pfalz [Naturally occurring halogen compounds, especially mercury iodide, from Moschellandsberg, Pfalz, West Germany]. Aufschluss, 36, 73-80 (in German).[as 'Unnamed Hg2I2']

Heidtke, U. (1989) Moschelite (Hg₂I₂): a new mercury mineral from Landsberg-Obermoschel. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie - Monatshefte, 1989. 524-526

(2005) Moschelite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Kars, Mohammed; Roisnel, Thierry; Dorcet, Vincent; Rebbah, Allaoua; L. Carlos, Otero-Diáz (2012) Redetermination of Hg₂I₂. Acta Crystallographica Section E Structure Reports Online, 68 (2). p.i11. doi:10.1107/s1600536811056339

Localities for MoscheliteHide

Showing 2 localities.

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the

symbol to view information about a locality. The

symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

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Locality ListHide

- 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). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.


Germany (TL)
Rhineland-Palatinate Donnersbergkreis Nordpfälzer Land Obermoschel Landsberg ⓘ Backofen Mine (TL)	Krupp +4 other references

Russia
Tuva Sut-Kholsky District Aldan-Maadyr ore cluster ⓘ Khaak-Sair occurrence	Kuzhuget et al. (2015)

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Moschelite

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of MoscheliteHide

Classification of MoscheliteHide

Mineral SymbolsHide

Physical Properties of MoscheliteHide

Chemistry of MoscheliteHide

Crystallography of MoscheliteHide

Crystal StructureHide

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Type Occurrence of MoscheliteHide

Synonyms of MoscheliteHide

Other Language Names for MoscheliteHide

Relationship of Moschelite to other SpeciesHide

Common AssociatesHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

Other InformationHide

Internet Links for MoscheliteHide

References for MoscheliteHide

Localities for MoscheliteHide

Locality ListHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide