Burnsite, ideally KCdCu7O2(SeO3)2Cl9 , occurs in a fumarole in the North Breach of the great fissure Tolbachik volcano eruption (1975-1976), Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. It occurs as dark red, anhedral, equidimensional grains. Associated minerals are cotunnite, sophiite, chloromenite, georgbokiite, ilinskite and an undefined Cu-Pb selenite. Burnsite is very rare and has only been found as several dozen grains that do not exceed 0.1 mm in maximum dimension. It is very similar megascopically to georgbokiite and the undefined Cu-Pb selenite, but differs from them by its red color. Burnsite has a strongly vitreous (metalloid) luster and a red streak. The mineral is brittle, opaque to translucent, with an uneven fracture. Cleavage is good on the (001) plane. Hardness VHN = 12 kg/mm2. The calculated density is 3.85 g/cm3. It is nonfluorescent. It is uniaxial negative, E 1.912(5), O 1.920(5), with weak bireflectance and no pleochroism. Burnsite is hexagonal, space group P63/mmc, a 8.7805(8), b 15.521(2) Å, V 1036.3(
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1171-1175
Number of pages5
JournalCanadian Mineralogist
Volume40
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Aug 2002

ID: 5039032