Honeaite

Where it forms, where it's found

Geological setting: Microvugs and microfractures mostly in areas where amphibolite underwent prehnite alteration, as a part of (likely) greenschist-facies mineralization under relatively low temperatures
Type locality: Karonie Gold Mine
Aldiss-Karonie
Mount Monger Goldfield
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire
Western Australia
Australia
-31.0356°, 122.5608°

4recorded occurrences

Source · OpenStreetMap

Safety & handling

Physical

Colour: Black
Cleavage: None Observed
Density: 11.18 g/cm³

Optical

Optical colour: slightly bluish grey
Anisotropism: weak, with dark brown to dark blue rotation tints
Tropism: Anisotropic
Notes: reflectance values are reported

Crystallography

Crystal system: Orthorhombic
Space group: Pbcm
Cell parameters: a = 8.9671(4) Å · b = 8.8758(4) Å · c = 7.8419(5) Å
Ratio a:b:c: 1 : 0.990 : 0.875
Unit cell volume: 624.14 Å³
Z: 4

Chemical composition

Constituent elements: Mass composition breakdown
Element Atoms At. mass g/mol Mass g/mol Mass share
79AuGold Gold 3 196.967 590.901
56.25%
52TeTellurium Tellurium 2 127.600 255.200
24.29%
81TlThallium Thallium 1 204.380 204.380
19.46%
Total 1050.481 100.00%
Mass share = atoms × atomic mass ÷ molar mass × 100
From IMA formula

Mass composition breakdown
Element	Atoms	At. mass g/mol	Mass g/mol	Mass share
79AuGold	Gold	3	196.967	590.901	56.25%
52TeTellurium	Tellurium	2	127.600	255.200	24.29%
81TlThallium	Thallium	1	204.380	204.380	19.46%
	Total	1050.481	100.00%

Synonyms

Honeaiet
IMA2015-060
Unnamed (Au-Tl Telluride)

In other languages

German: Honeait · IMA 2015-060

Classification

Strunz

10th ed.

2.BA.42

2Sulfides and SulfosaltsClass
2.BMetal Sulfides, M: S > 1: 1 (mainly 2: 1)Division
2.BAWith Cu, Ag, AuGroup
2.BA.42HoneaiteSpecies

Literature, links & citation

Citations

2000Nechaev, S.V. & Cook, N.J. (2000): A natural occurrence of Au3TlTe2 from the Maiskoe Au-deposit, Ukraine. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte 2000, 557-562. [as unnamed Au3TlTe2]
2005Bondarenko, S.; Grinchenko, O.; Semka, V. (2005) Au-Ag-Te-Se mineralization in the Potashnya gold deposit, Kocherov tectonic zone, Ukrainian Shield. Geokhimiya, Mineralogiya i Petrologiya: 43: 20-25. [citing Bondarenko et al., 1993; Nechaev et al., 2000; Reports of a find of an unnamed (Au-Tl Telluride)]
2015Hålenius, U., Hatert, F., Pasero, M., Mills, S. J. (2015) New minerals and nomenclature modifications approved in 2015, CNMNC Newsletter No 27. Mineralogical Magazine, 79 (5). 1223-1230 doi:10.1180/minmag.2015.079.5.16DOI: 10.1180/minmag.2015.079.5.16
2016Rice, C.M., Welch, M.D., Still, J.W., Criddle, A.J., Stanley, C.J. (2016): Honeaite, a new gold-thallium-telluride from the Eastern Goldfields, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. European Journal of Mineralogy: 28: 979-990.
2017Welch, M.D., Still, J.W., Rice, C.M., Stanley, C.J. (2017) A new telluride topology: the crystal structure of honeaite Au3TlTe2. Mineralogical Magazine: 81: 611-618.

Cite this entry

@misc{mineral2026,
  author    = {Mineral Index editorial board},
  title     = {Honeaite — Mineral Index},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://mineralindex.org/minerals/honeaite-46835},
  note      = {Accessed 2026-05-11}
}