Alexearlite

Where it forms, where it's found

Type locality: McDermitt Mine
Opalite Mining District
Humboldt County
Nevada
USA
41.9194°, -117.8122°

2recorded occurrences

Source · OpenStreetMap

Safety & handling

Crystallography

Crystal system: Orthorhombic
Space group: Pnma
Cell parameters: a = 8.0624(5) Å · b = 6.9185(3) Å · c = 13.0035(6) Å
Ratio a:b:c: 1 : 0.858 : 1.613
Type-locality form: Gemmy orange spear-like crystals

Chemical composition

Constituent elements: Mass composition breakdown
Element Atoms At. mass g/mol Mass g/mol Mass share
80HgMercury Mercury 3 200.592 601.776
72.87%
42MoMolybdenum Molybdenum 1 95.950 95.950
11.62%
16SSulfur Sulfur 2 32.060 64.120
7.76%
8OOxygen Oxygen 4 15.999 63.996
7.75%
Total 825.842 100.00%
Mass share = atoms × atomic mass ÷ molar mass × 100
From Mindat formula

Mass composition breakdown
Element	Atoms	At. mass g/mol	Mass g/mol	Mass share
80HgMercury	Mercury	3	200.592	601.776	72.87%
42MoMolybdenum	Molybdenum	1	95.950	95.950	11.62%
16SSulfur	Sulfur	2	32.060	64.120	7.76%
8OOxygen	Oxygen	4	15.999	63.996	7.75%
	Total	825.842	100.00%

Synonyms

Alexearliet
Alexearlitt
Unnamed (Mercury Molybdate Sulfide)

In other languages

German: Alexearlit · IMA 2024-039

Classification

Strunz

10th ed.

7.GB

7SulfatesClass
7.GMolybdates, Wolframates and NiobatesDivision
7.GBWith additional anions and/or H₂OGroup
7.GBAlexearliteSpecies

Literature, links & citation

Citations

— Olds, T. A., Kampf, A. R., Ma, C., and Emproto, C.: Alexearlite, IMA 2024-039, in: CNMNC Newsletter 81, Eur. J. Mineral., 36, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-36-917-2024, 2024.
2024Earl, A., Stefano, C. J. (2024) The Tintic District: Juab and Utah Counties, Utah, in Tintic!. The Mineralogical Record, 55 (2) 157-238

Cite this entry

@misc{mineral2026,
  author    = {Mineral Index editorial board},
  title     = {Alexearlite — Mineral Index},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://mineralindex.org/minerals/alexearlite-471416},
  note      = {Accessed 2026-05-11}
}