New Minerals Discovered: Belmonteite, Fengruiite, and Vanadium Study

The latest issue of the open‑access European Journal of Mineralogy reports three studies that advance understanding of ore processing and introduce two new mineral species.

Vanadium Pre‑concentration in Bushveld Ores Researchers Thomas Daniel van Gerve, Philippe Muchez, Ted Nuorivaara, and Olivier Namur examined Fe–Ti oxide textures in vanadium‑rich Bushveld Complex ores to determine how crushing strategies affect recovery. They found that some exsolution textures tightly intergrow minerals and hinder separation, while others form coarser structures that improve magnetic and flotation methods. Identifying these textures is essential for optimizing vanadium ore processing and resource use ¹.

Belmonteite – An Arsenate Mineral from Liguria Cristian Biagioni, Jiří Sejkora, and Zdeněk Dolníček described a new arsenate mineral, CaMn₂(AsO₄)₂(H₂O)₅·2H₂O, which they named belmonteite. It was discovered in Mn ore deposits of the Graveglia Valley in eastern Liguria (Italy). The crystal structure consists of {010} layers of six‑fold coordinated manganese atoms decorated with (AsO₄) groups and calcium atoms connected through hydrogen bonds. The mineral forms due to circulation of As‑rich oxidizing fluids within the deposit, and its name honors Donato Belmonte for his contributions to Ligurian mineralogy ¹.

Fengruiite – A Silver‑Rich Sulfosalt from Qinling Yongfei Tian, Guowu Li, Ningyue Sun, Min Liu, Jingwen Mao, Yunpeng Dong, Peng Liu, Wei Jian, Wei Yao, Xiuquan Wang, and Huishou Ye reported a new Ag–Sb–Te sulfosalt species,, found at the Haopinggou Ag–Pb–Zn–Au deposit in eastern Qinling, China. Using microscopy, chemical analysis, and crystallography, they confirmed that tellurium‑rich structures help trap and concentrate silver in hot mineral‑forming fluids, offering clues about how silver‑rich deposits form ¹.

These studies illustrate how detailed texture analysis can improve ore processing and how newly identified minerals expand the catalog of known species.