Guettardite

Sulfosalt mineral
Pb(Sb,As)2S4IMA symbolGue[1]Strunz classification2.HC.05aCrystal systemMonoclinicCrystal classPrismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)Space groupP21/aUnit cella = 20.17, b = 7.94
c = 8.72 [Å]; β = 101.12°; Z = 8IdentificationColorGrayish black; white with reddish internal reflections in polished sectionCrystal habitAcicular crystals and anhedral grainsTwinningPolysynthetic twinning on {100}CleavagePerfect on {001}FractureConchoidalTenacityVery brittleMohs scale hardness4LusterMetallicStreakBrownDiaphaneityOpaqueSpecific gravity5.2PleochroismRelatively strongReferences[2][3][4]

Guettardite is a rare arsenic-antimony lead sulfosalt mineral with the chemical formula Pb(Sb,As)2S4. It forms gray black metallic prismatic to acicular crystals with monoclinic symmetry. It is a dimorph of the triclinic twinnite.

Discovery and occurrence

It was first described in 1967 for an occurrence in the Taylor Pit, Madoc, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada. It was named for French naturalist Jean-Étienne Guettard (1715–1786).[2]

It occurs in hydrothermal veins within marble at the type locality in Modoc. It occurs associated with pyrite, sphalerite, wurtzite, galena, stibnite, orpiment, realgar, enargite, tetrahedrite, zinkenite, jordanite, bournonite, sterryite, boulangerite, jamesonite and sartorite at Madoc.[3]

In addition to the type locality, it has been reported from the Brobdingnag mine, near Silverton, Colorado; the Jas Roux deposit in Hautes-Alpes, France; from various marble quarries near Seravezza, Tuscany, Italy; a marble quarry in Valais, Switzerland and from Khaydarkan, Fergana Valley, Alai Mountains, Kyrgyzstan.[2][3]

See also

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. ^ a b c "Guettardite". mindat.org. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Handbook of Mineralogy
  4. ^ Webmineral data
  • Discovery of guettardite in French


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