Petzite Mineral Data

General Petzite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ag3AuTe2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 775.77 gm

Silver 41.71 % Ag

Tellurium 32.90 % Te

Gold 25.39 % Au

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Ag₃AuTe₂

Environment:

With other tellurides in vein-controlled gold deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

Sacarâmb (Nagyág, Szekerembe), Transylvania, Romania. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the chemist, W. Petz.

Name Pronunciation:

Petzite

Synonym:

ICSD 41772

Kurilite - hessite or petzite (?)

PDF 44-1420

Petzite Image

Images:

Petzite Gold

Comments: Dark, stubby petzite crystals with native gold on quartz.
Location: Rosia Montana (Verespatak), Transylvania, Romania. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Petzite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.38, Z = 8; V = 1,118.39 Den(Calc)= 9.21

Crystal System:

Isometric - GyroidalH-M Symbol (4 3 2) Space Group: I 4₁32

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.77(1), 2.12(0.8), 2.03(0.7),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Frueh A J , American Mineralogist , 44 (1959) p.693-701, The crystallography of petzite, Ag3AuTe2

Physical Properties of Petzite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Iron black, Steel gray.

Density:

8.7 - 9.14, Average = 8.92

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Sectile - Brittle fracture with slightly sectile shavings possible.

Habit:

Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

2.5 - Finger Nail

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

grayish black

Optical Properties of Petzite

RL Anisotrophism:

Noticeable in part.

RL Color:

Grayish white with a bale bluish tint.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Petzite in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
400 nm	45.40
420 nm	43.60
440 nm	41.80
460 nm	40.70
480 nm	39.80
500 nm	39.20
520 nm	38.60
540 nm	38.20
560 nm	37.90
580 nm	37.60
600 nm	37.40
620 nm	37.30
640 nm	37.10
660 nm	37.00
680 nm	36.90
700 nm	36.90

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Petzite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	30%	60%	90%	100%	120%	150%	180%	210%	240%
R

Calculated Properties of Petzite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=7.69 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Petzite =9.21 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.02
Boson Index = 0.98

Photoelectric:

PE_Petzite= 648.10 barns/electron
U=PE_Petzite x rElectron Density=4,985.92 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Petzite is Not Radioactive

Petzite Classification

Dana Class:

02.04.03.03 (02)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides

(02.04)where Am Bn Xp, with (m+n):p=2:1

(02.04.03)Uytenbogaardtite Group

02.04.03.01 Uytenbogaardtite Ag3AuS2 P 4₁22 4 2 2

02.04.03.02 Fischesserite Ag3AuSe2 I 4₁32 4 3 2

02.04.03.03 Petzite Ag3AuTe2 I 4₁32 4 3 2

Strunz Class:

02.BA.40a 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.B - Metal Sulfides, M:S > 1:1 (mainly 2:1)

02.BA -With Cu, Ag, Au

02.BA.40a Fischesserite Ag3AuSe2 I 4₁32 4 3 2

02.BA.40a Petzite Ag3AuTe2 I 4₁32 4 3 2

Other Petzite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Petzite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Ask about Petzite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Petzite Specimen Label here :

Petzite

Ag3AuTe2
Dana No: 02.04.03.03 Strunz No: 02.BA.40a
Locality:

Notes: