Elsmoreite

Elsmoreite is a hydrous tungsten oxide mineral with formula WO₃·0.5(H₂O). Elsmoreite is a colorless to white, translucent isometric mineral. It has a Mohs hardness of 3, exhibits no cleavage and has a splintery fracture. It has a vitreous to adamantine luster. It is optically isotropic with an index of refraction of n = 2.24.

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It forms from the oxidation of ferberite within granitic pegmatite dykes and in pegmatitic greisen veins. It has a structure based on a defect pyrochlore lattice (A2B2O6O’).

It was first described for an occurrence in Elsmore Hill, New South Wales, Australia from where it takes its name.

References

• Williams, P.A., Leverett, P., Sharpe, J.L., Colchester, D.M. (2005): Elsmoreite, cubic WO3•0.5H2O, a new mineral species from Elsmore, New South Wales, Australia. Canadian Mineralogist, 43, 1061-1064
• American Mineralogist, volume 91, pages 216-224, 2006.
• Mindat
• Webmineral data