| Mosesite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Halide minerals |
| Formula (repeating unit) | Hg2N(Cl,SO4,MoO4,CO3)·H2O |
| IMA symbol | Mos[1] |
| Strunz classification | 3.DD.30 |
| Crystal system | Cubic |
| Crystal class | Hextetrahedral (43m) H-M symbol: (4 3m) |
| Space group | F43m |
| Identification | |
| Color | Lemon-yellow, canary-yellow |
| Crystal habit | Octahedral, cubo-octahedral, cubic |
| Twinning | Twin plane {111} |
| Cleavage | Imperfect {111} |
| Fracture | Uneven |
| Tenacity | Brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 3.5 |
| Luster | Adamantine |
| Streak | Very light yellow |
| Optical properties | Isotropic |
| Solubility | Changes to white substance in cold HCl |
| Alters to | Turns a faint olivine green color with lengthy exposure to light |
| References | [2][3][4][5] |
Mosesite is a very rare mineral found in few locations. It is a mercury mineral found as an accessory in deposits of mercury, often in conjunction with limestone. It is known to be found in the U.S. states of Texas and Nevada, and the Mexican states of Guerrero and Querétaro. It was named after Professor Alfred J. Moses (1859–1920) for his contributions to the field of mineralogy in discovering several minerals found alongside mosesite. The mineral itself is various shades of yellow and a high occurrence of spinel twinning. It becomes isotropic when heated to 186 °C (367 °F).