New Mineral Species Reported by European Journal of Mineralogy

The European Journal of Mineralogy recently reported three new mineral species. One study examined how exsolution textures in Fe–Ti oxide minerals influence crushing strategies and pre‑concentration of vanadium and titanium.¹ Another identified a new arsenate mineral, Belmonteite (CaMn₂(AsO₄)₂(H₂O)₅⋅2H₂O), found in the Mn ore deposits of Graveglia Valley, eastern Liguria, Italy.¹ The third described Fengruiite, a silver‑rich sulfosalt discovered at the Haopinggou Ag–Pb–Zn–Au deposit in eastern Qinling, China.¹

Expert context clarifies that the texture of these Fe–Ti oxides determines their separability; some textures hinder separation while others enhance processing through magnetic and flotation methods. Belmonteite’s crystal structure consists of {010} layers of six‑fold coordinated Mn atoms decorated with (AsO₄) groups and Ca atoms connected via hydrogen bonds—a feature linked to As‑rich oxidizing fluids within the deposits. Fengruiite possesses a unique tellurium‑rich framework that helped trap and concentrate silver in hot mineral‑forming fluids, offering new insights into silver deposition mechanisms.