Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 8, 2026

Tistarite

Tistarite is an exceedingly rare mineral with the formula Ti2O3, thus being the natural analogue of titanium(III) oxide. In terms of chemistry it is the titanium-analogue of hematite, corundum, eskolaite, and karelianite. Other minerals with the general formula A2O3 are arsenolite, avicennite, claudetite, bismite, bixbyite, kangite, sphaerobismoite, yttriaite-(Y) and valentinite. Tistarite and grossmanite – both found in the famous Allende meteorite (so is kangite) – are the only currently known minerals with trivalent titanium. Titanium in minerals is almost exclusively tetravalent. The only known terrestrial occurrence of tistarite was found during minerals exploration by Shefa Yamim Ltd. in the upper mantle beneath Mount Carmel, Israel.

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Tistarite
General
CategoryOxide minerals
FormulaTi2O3
IMA symbolTta1
Strunz classification4.CB.05
Crystal systemTrigonal
Crystal classHexagonal scalenohedral (3m)
H-M symbol: (3 2/m)
Space groupR3c
Identification
References2
SEM BSE images showing kaitianite (Ktn) with tistarite (Tta), Ti,Al,Zr-oxide (TAZ), MgTi3+2Al4SiO12 phase (MTAS), spinel (Spl), sapphirine (Spr), and Ti-sulfide (Ti-S) in corundum Grain 1125C2. The upper rectangular area in (b) are enlarged in (c)
SEM BSE images showing kaitianite (Ktn) with tistarite (Tta), Ti,Al,Zr-oxide (TAZ), MgTi3+2Al4SiO12 phase (MTAS), spinel (Spl), sapphirine (Spr), and Ti-sulfide (Ti-S) in corundum Grain 1125C2. The upper rectangular area in (b) are enlarged in (c)3 source ↗

Tistarite is an exceedingly rare mineral with the formula Ti2O3, thus being the natural analogue of titanium(III) oxide.42 In terms of chemistry it is the titanium-analogue of hematite, corundum, eskolaite, and karelianite. Other minerals with the general formula A2O3 are arsenolite, avicennite, claudetite, bismite, bixbyite, kangite, sphaerobismoite, yttriaite-(Y) and valentinite. Tistarite and grossmanite – both found in the famous Allende meteorite (so is kangite) – are the only currently known minerals with trivalent titanium. Titanium in minerals is almost exclusively tetravalent.256 The only known terrestrial occurrence of tistarite was found during minerals exploration by Shefa Yamim Ltd. in the upper mantle beneath Mount Carmel, Israel.37

References

References

  1. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. Mindat, Tistarite, http://www.mindat.org/min-38695.html
  3. W.L. Griffin; S.E.M. Gain; D.T. Adams; J-X. Huang; M. Saunders; V. Toledo; N.J. pearson; S.Y. O'Reilly (2016), "First terrestrial occurrence of tistarite (Ti2O3): Ultra-low oxygen fugacity in the upper mantle beneath Mount Carmel, Israel" (PDF), Geology, 44 (10), Geological Society of America (published 2016-08-17): 815–818, Bibcode:2016Geo....44..815G, doi:10.1130/G37910.1, archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-09-12, retrieved 2016-09-12 – via Shefa Yamim Ltd. This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  4. Ma, C., and Rossmann, G.R., 2009: Tistarite, Ti2O3, a new refractory mineral from the Allende meteorite. American Mineralogist 94(5–6), 841–844
  5. Mindat, Kangite, http://www.mindat.org/min-42879.html
  6. Mindat, Yttriaite-(Y), http://www.mindat.org/min-40471.html
  7. "Australian university confirms Israeli rare mineral discovery". J-Wire. 2016-02-21. Archived from the original on 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2016-09-12.