Abstract. Monteneveite, ideally Ca3Sb25+(Fe23+Fe2+)O12, is a new
member of the garnet supergroup (IMA 2018-060). The mineral was discovered
in a small specimen belonging to the Swedish Museum of Natural History
coming from the now abandoned Monteneve Pb–Zn mine in Passiria Valley,
Bolzano Province, Alto Adige (South Tyrol), Italy. The specimen consists of
mainly magnetite, sphalerite, tetrahedrite-(Fe) and oxycalcioroméite.
Monteneveite occurs as black, subhedral crystals with adamantine lustre.
They are equidimensional and up to 400 µm in size, with a
subconchoidal fracture. Monteneveite is opaque, grey in reflected light, and
isotropic under crossed polars. Measured reflectance values (%) at the
four COM wavelengths are 12.6 (470 nm), 12.0 (546 nm), 11.6 (589 nm) and
11.4 (650 nm). The Vickers hardness (VHN100) is 1141 kg mm−2,
corresponding to H=6.5–7, and the calculated density is 4.72(1) g cm−3. A mean of 10 electron microprobe analyses gave (wt %) CaO 23.67, FeO 3.75, Fe2O3 29.54, Sb2O5 39.81,
SnO2 2.22, ZnO 2.29, MgO 0.15, MnO 0.03 and CoO 0.03. The
crystal chemical formula calculated on the basis of a total of eight cations and
12 anions, and taking into account the available structural and
spectroscopic data, is (Ca2.97Mg0.03)Σ=3.00 (Sb1.735+Sn0.104+Fe0.173+)Σ=2.00(Fe2.433+Fe0.372+Zn0.20)Σ=3.00O12. The most significant chemical variations encountered in the
sample are related to a substitution of the type YSn4++ZFe3+→YSb5++ZFe2+. Mössbauer
data obtained at RT and 77 K indicate the presence of tetrahedrally
coordinated Fe2+. Raman spectroscopy demonstrates that there is no
measurable hydrogarnet component in monteneveite. The six strongest Bragg
peaks in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern are [d (Å), I (%),
(hkl)]: 4.45, 100, (220); 3.147, 60, (400); 2.814, 40, (420); 2.571, 80, (422);
1.993, 40, (620); 1.683, 60, (642). Monteneveite is cubic, space group
Ia-3‾d, with a=12.6093(2) Å, V=2004.8(1) Å3, and Z=8. The
crystal structure was refined up to R1=0.0197 for 305 reflections with
Fo>4σ(Fo) and 19 parameters. Monteneveite is
related to the other Ca-, Sb- and Fe-bearing, nominally Si-free members of
the bitikleite group, but it differs in that it is the only known garnet
species with mixed trivalent and divalent cations (2:1) at the tetrahedral
Z site. Textural and mineralogical evidence suggests that monteneveite formed during
peak metamorphism (at ca. 600 ∘C) during partial breakdown of
tetrahedrite-(Fe) by reactions with carbonate, under relatively oxidizing
conditions. The mineral is named after the type locality, the Monteneve
(Schneeberg) mine.