A metal recently discovered by Klaproth, combined with gold and silver in the ores, and received from the bannat of Temeswar. The ores are denominated native, graphic, yellow, and black. The native tellurium is of a color between tin and silver, and sometimes inclines to a steel gray. The graphic tellurium is stell gray; but sometimes white, yellow or lead gray. These ores are found massive or crystallized.

A rare nonmetallic element, analogous to sulphur and selenium, occasionally found native as a substance of a silver-white metallic luster, but usually combined with metals, as with gold and silver in the mineral sylvanite, with mercury in Coloradoite, etc. Symbol Te. Atomic weight 125.2.