Moctezumite

Moctezumite
Moctezumite
	Moctezumite crystals from the Bambolla mine in Moctezuma, Mexico
General
Category	Oxide mineral
Formula	Pb(UO2)(Te4+O3)2
IMA symbol	Moc
IMA status	Approved
Crystal system	Monoclinic
Crystal class	04.JK.65 (Strunz)
Space group	P21/b
Identification
Color	Bright orange, brownish orange to dark orange
Cleavage	100
Mohs scale hardness	3
Luster	Dull
Specific gravity	5.73
Optical properties	Biaxial

Moctezumite is a lead-uranyl tellurite with the chemical formula Pb(U O₂)(Te⁴⁺O₃)₂ and a monoclinic crystal system. It was first described in 1965 after being taken from a mineral deposit in a mine within the municipality of Moctezuma, Sonora, being named after the town where it was found.

Occurrence

Moctezumite is a rare type of secondary mineral that is formed in the oxidized zones of hydrothermal deposits where gold and tellurium occur. The mineral was first harvested in 1937 from the 'La Bambolla' mine in the municipality of Moctezuma, Sonora, where, after investigations from Royal Ontario Museum, it was first described in 1965.

Description

Moctezumite ranges in color from a bright orange to a dark or brownish orange. It has small, bladed crystals with dull, curved faces and a maximum observed size of 3mm long by 1mm wide, by 0.2 mm thick. These crystals are semitransparent and biaxial, with a monoclinic symmetry.

Moctezumite is closely associated with Schmitterite, burckhardtite, zemannite, emmonsite, pyrite, barite, and limonite, and is structurally similar to the aformentioned Schmitterite.

Uses

Moctezumite can be dissolved in diluted hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide, resulting a solution containing gold, lead, and tellurium.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 "Moctezumite Mineral Data". webmineral.com. Retrieved 2026-08-27.
1 2 3 4 5 "Moctezumite: Mineral information, data, and localities". mindat.org. Retrieved 2026-08-27.
↑ "Moctezumite Mineral Specimens for Sale". dakotamatrix.com. Retrieved 2026-08-27.
1 2 3 4 5 Gaines, Richard (September 1965). "MOCTEZUMITE, A NEW LEAD URANYL TELLURITE" (PDF). The American Mineralogist. 50 (9) – via Mindat.
1 2 3 "Moctezumite" (PDF). handbookofmineralogy.org. Retrieved 2026-08-27.
1 2 Swihart, George; Gupta, Pradip; Elmer, Schlemper; Back, Malcom; Gaines, Richard (1993). "The crystal structure of moctezumite[PbUO2](TeO3)2" (PDF). American Mineralogist. 78 (7–8): 835–839 – via Mindat.

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[webmineral-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Moctezumite Mineral Data". webmineral.com. Retrieved 2026-08-27.

[mindat-2] 1 2 3 4 5 "Moctezumite: Mineral information, data, and localities". mindat.org. Retrieved 2026-08-27.

[3] "Moctezumite Mineral Specimens for Sale". dakotamatrix.com. Retrieved 2026-08-27.

[:0-4] 1 2 3 4 5 Gaines, Richard (September 1965). "MOCTEZUMITE, A NEW LEAD URANYL TELLURITE" (PDF). The American Mineralogist. 50 (9) – via Mindat.

[handbook-5] 1 2 3 "Moctezumite" (PDF). handbookofmineralogy.org. Retrieved 2026-08-27.

[:1-6] 1 2 Swihart, George; Gupta, Pradip; Elmer, Schlemper; Back, Malcom; Gaines, Richard (1993). "The crystal structure of moctezumite[PbUO2](TeO3)2" (PDF). American Mineralogist. 78 (7–8): 835–839 – via Mindat.