# Walfordite

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{{Short description|Tellurite mineral}}
{{Infobox mineral
| name        = Walfordite
| image       = Walfordite - Tambo Mine, Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile2.jpg
| alt         = 
| caption     = Walfordite from Tambo Mine, [Elqui Province](/source/Elqui_Province), [Chile](/source/Chile)
| category    = Tellurite minerals
| formula     = Fe<sup>3+</sup>,Te<sup>6+</sup>Te<sup>4+</sup><sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>
| IMAsymbol   = wfd<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|journal=Mineralogical Magazine|volume=85|issue=3|pages=291–320|doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43|bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W|s2cid=235729616|doi-access=free}}</ref>
| strunz      = 4.JK.05
| dana        = 
| system      = [Isometric](/source/Cubic_crystal_system)
| symmetry    = I2, Ia3
| unit cell   = a = 11.011&nbsp;Å ; Z&nbsp;=&nbsp;8
| color       = 
| colour      = Orange
| habit       = Microscopic cubic crystals
| twinning    = 
| cleavage    = None
| fracture    = 
| tenacity    = Brittle
| mohs        = 
| luster      = Adamantine
| streak      = Orange-yellow
| diaphaneity = Opaque
| gravity     = 5.841 (calculated)
| density     = 
| polish      = 
| opticalprop = [Isotropic](/source/Isotropy)
| refractive  = n = 2.23
| birefringence = 
| pleochroism = 
| 2V          = 
| dispersion  = 
| extinction  = 
| length fast/slow =
| fluorescence = 
| absorption  = 
| melt        = 
| fusibility  = 
| diagnostic  = 
| solubility  = 
| impurities  = 
| alteration  = 
| other       = 
| prop1       = 
| prop1text   = 
| references  = <ref name=HBM>[https://rruff.info/doclib/hom/walfordite.pdf Walfordite in the Handbook of Mineralogy]</ref><ref name=Mindat>[http://www.mindat.org/show.php?id=7360 Walfordite on Mindat.org]</ref><ref name=Webmin>[https://www.webmineral.com/data/Walfordite.shtml#.Us6pFNLjVVY Walfordite data on Webmineral]</ref>
}}

'''Walfordite''' is a very rare [tellurite](/source/tellurite) [mineral](/source/mineral) that was discovered in [Chile](/source/Chile) in 1999.<ref name=Back1999>
{{Cite journal |url=https://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/cm/vol37/CM37_1261.pdf |title=Walfordite, a New Tellurite Species from the Wendy Open Pit, El Indio - Tambo Mining Property, Chile |journal=The Canadian Mineralogist |volume=37|pages=1261–1268|year=1999 |first1=Malcolm E.|last1=Back |first2=Joel D.|last2=Grice |first3=Robert A.|last3=Gault |first4=Alan J.|last4=Criddle |first5=Joseph A.|last5=Mandarino}}</ref>  The mineral is described as orange with orange-yellow [streak](/source/streak_(mineralogy)), and is determined to have a chemical formula of Fe<sup>3+</sup>,Te<sup>6+</sup>Te<sup>4+</sup><sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub><ref name=HBM/> with minor [titanium](/source/titanium) and [magnesium](/source/magnesium) substitution resulting in an approximate empirical formula of (Fe<sup>3+</sup>,Te<sup>6+</sup>,Ti<sup>4+</sup>,Mg)(Te<sup>4+</sup>)<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>.<ref name=Back1999/>

==Occurrence==
The only reported occurrence<ref name=Mindat/> is in the Wendy [open pit](/source/Open_pit_mine), [El Indio-Tambo mining district](/source/El_Indio_Gold_Belt) of the [Coquimbo Region](/source/Coquimbo_Region), northern Chile where it occurs in [oxidized](/source/oxidized) [breccia](/source/breccia) associated with a [tellurium](/source/tellurium)-bearing [gold deposit](/source/Gold_mine). Associated minerals include: [alunite](/source/alunite), [rodalquilarite](/source/rodalquilarite), [native gold](/source/native_gold), [emmonsite](/source/emmonsite), [jarosite](/source/jarosite) and [pyrite](/source/pyrite). The mineral was named for mine geologist Phillip Walford (1945— ) who first noted the mineral.<Ref name=HBM/>

==See also==
*[El Indio Gold Belt](/source/El_Indio_Gold_Belt). Tambo is adjacent to the El Indio mine. Both are now closed.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

Category:Tellurium minerals
Category:Oxide minerals
Category:Cubic minerals
Category:Minerals in space group 206
Category:Minerals described in 1999

{{Mineral-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Walfordite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walfordite) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walfordite?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.