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Coulsonite

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered

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Edit Coulsonite Add Synonym Edit CIF structures Clear Cache

Coulsonite

Bihar, India

Coulsonite, etc.

Pyrrhotite gorge, Lovchorr Mt, Murmansk Oblast, Russia

Coulsonite, etc.

Buena Vista Mine, Churchill County, Nevada, USA

Coulsonite

Bihar, India

Coulsonite, etc.

Pyrrhotite gorge, Lovchorr Mt, Murmansk Oblast, Russia

Coulsonite, etc.

Buena Vista Mine, Churchill County, Nevada, USA

Coulsonite

Bihar, India

Coulsonite, etc.

Pyrrhotite gorge, Lovchorr Mt, Murmansk Oblast, Russia

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About CoulsoniteHide

Arthur L. Coulson

Formula:

Fe²⁺V³⁺₂O₄

Colour:

Bluish gray; light gray in reflected light

Lustre:

Metallic

Hardness:

4½ - 5

Specific Gravity:

5.17 - 5.20

Crystal System:

Isometric

Member of:

Spinel Subgroup > Oxyspinel Group > Spinel Supergroup

Name:

Named in honor of Dr. Arthur Lennox Coulson (25 January 1898, Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia - 1955, Melbourne, Australia), Geological Survey of India.

Type Locality:

ⓘ Buena Vista Mine, Churchill County, Nevada, USA

Initially described from Bihar, India in 1936 as vanado-magnetite, renamed the following year as coulsonite (these specimens contain up to 4.84% vanadium). Species was redefined in 1962 on Nevada material.

The Fe²⁺ analogue of vuorelainenite.

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

1142

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:1142:2

Similar NamesHide

Cleusonite

A valid IMA mineral species

(Pb,Sr)(U⁴⁺,U⁶⁺)(Fe²⁺,Zn)₂(Ti,Fe²⁺,Fe³⁺)₁₈(O,OH)₃₈

IMA Classification of CoulsoniteHide

IMA status:

Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)

Classification of CoulsoniteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):

4.BB.05

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
B : Metal: Oxygen = 3:4 and similar
B : With only medium-sized cations

Dana 8th ed.:

7.2.4.2

7 : MULTIPLE OXIDES
2 : AB₂X₄

Hey's CIM Ref.:

7.12.19

7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
12 : Oxides of V, Nb and Ta

Mineral SymbolsHide

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

Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.

Symbol	Source	Reference for Standard
Cou	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43
Cou	The Canadian Mineralogist (2019)	The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download

Physical Properties of CoulsoniteHide

Lustre:

Metallic

Transparency:

Opaque

Colour:

Bluish gray; light gray in reflected light

Streak:

Dark brown to black

Hardness:

4½ - 5 on Mohs scale

Tenacity:

Brittle

Density:

5.17 - 5.20 g/cm³ (Measured) 5.15 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Optical Data of CoulsoniteHide

Reflectivity:

Wavelength	R₁ (%)
0nm	6.64 (400%
0nm	6.44 (420%
0nm	6.28 (440%
0nm	6.21 (460%
0nm	6.18 (480%
0nm	6.18 (500%
0nm	6.23 (520%
0nm	6.3 (540%
0nm	6.38 (560%
0nm	6.46 (580%
0nm	6.54 (600%
0nm	6.67 (620%
0nm	6.83 (640%
0nm	7.03 (660%
0nm	7.26 (680%
0nm	7.5 (700%

Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 7.5 (700%.

Comments:

Isotropic, but locally slightly anisotropic.

The type description gives a higher reflectivity, with a mean value of ~23.5%.

Chemistry of CoulsoniteHide

Mindat Formula:

Fe²⁺V³⁺₂O₄

Element Weights:

Element	% weight
V	45.950 %
O	28.863 %
Fe	25.187 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.

Elements listed:

Fe, O, V - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of CoulsoniteHide

Crystal System:

Isometric

Class (H-M):

m3m(4/m32/m) - Hexoctahedral

Space Group:

Fd3m

Cell Parameters:

a = 8.297 Å, b = 2 Å

Unit Cell V:

571.17 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Morphology:

As subhedral crystals, less than 1 mm in size. Also as exsolution lamellae along
{111} in magnetite.

Crystal StructureHide

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Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4

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CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c

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

ID	Species	Reference	Link	Year	Locality	Pressure (GPa)	Temp (K)
0015774	Coulsonite	Reuter B, Riedel E, Hug P, Arndt D, Geisler U, Behnke J (1969) Zur kristallchemie der vanadin(III)-spinelle Zeitschrift fur Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie 369 306-312		1969		0	293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Coulsonite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Reuter B'
'Riedel E'
'Hug P'
'Arndt D'
'Geisler U'
'Behnke J'
_journal_name_full 'Zeitschrift fur Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie'
_journal_volume 369 
_journal_year 1969
_journal_page_first 306
_journal_page_last 312
_publ_section_title
;
 Zur kristallchemie der vanadin(III)-spinelle
;
_database_code_amcsd 0015774
_chemical_formula_sum 'Fe V2 O4'
_cell_length_a 8.453
_cell_length_b 8.453
_cell_length_c 8.453
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
_cell_angle_gamma 90
_cell_volume 603.994
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      4.877
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'F d 3 m'
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loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
Fe   0.00000   0.00000   0.00000
V   0.62500   0.62500   0.62500
O   0.38600   0.38600   0.38600

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
2.50 Å	(100)
1.466 Å	(95)
1.597 Å	(91)
2.07 Å	(78)
2.93 Å	(58)
4.79 Å	(35)
1.693 Å	(28)

Comments:

Buena Vista Hills, Nevada, USA. Data from Radtke (1962).

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Stage 2: Planetesimal differentiation and alteration	4.566-4.550
6 : Secondary asteroid phases	4.566-4.560
Stage 5: Initiation of plate tectonics	<3.5-2.5
40 : Regional metamorphism (greenschist, amphibolite, granulite facies)

Type Occurrence of CoulsoniteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Buena Vista Mine, Churchill County, Nevada, USA

General Appearance of Type Material:

Occurs along octahedral planes in magnetite and less commonly as subhedral isolated crystals.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

Metamorphosed igneous rocks. Hornblende andesite.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Amphibole Supergroup	'Apatite'	Chlorite Group	'Hornblende'	Magnetite
Muscovite	Pyroxene Group	'Scapolite'	Titanite

Other Language Names for CoulsoniteHide

Dutch:Coulsoniet

German:Coulsonit

Russian:Кулсонит

Simplified Chinese:钒磁铁矿

Spanish:Coulsonita

Relationship of Coulsonite to other SpeciesHide

Member of:

Spinel Subgroup > Oxyspinel Group > Spinel Supergroup

Other Members of Spinel Subgroup:

Chihmingite	NiAl₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
Chromite	Fe²⁺Cr³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
Cochromite	CoCr₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
Cuprospinel	Cu²⁺Fe³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
Dellagiustaite	V²⁺Al₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
Deltalumite	(Al_0.67◻_0.33)Al₂O₄	Tet. 42m : P4m2
Franklinite	Zn²⁺Fe³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
Gahnite	ZnAl₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
Galaxite	Mn²⁺Al₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
Guite	Co²⁺Co³⁺₂O₄	Iso.
Hausmannite	Mn²⁺Mn³⁺₂O₄	Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : I4₁/amd
Hercynite	Fe²⁺Al₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m