Pyrostilpnite Mineral Data

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General Pyrostilpnite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ag3SbS3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 541.55 gm

Silver 59.75 % Ag

Antimony 22.48 % Sb

Sulfur 17.76 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Ag₃SbS₃

Environment:

Found in low-temperature hydrothermal veins as a late-stage mineral. Dimorphous with pyrargyrite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1868

Locality:

Andreasberg in the Harz Mountains, Germany Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek, pyr, "fire" and stilpnos, "shining."

Name Pronunciation:

Pyrostilpnite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Fire Blende

ICSD 33714

PDF 8-129

Pyrostilpnite Image

Images:

Pyrostilpnite

Comments: Reddish brown, crystalline aggregate of pyrostilpnite on matrix.
Location: St. Audreasberg, Hartz, Lower Saxony, Germany. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Pyrostilpnite

Comments: Deep bright-red, acicular crystals of pyrostilpnite to 1mm in vuggy sulfide matrix.
Location: Cerro Rico, Potosi City, Potosi Dept., Bolivia. Scale: Picture size 5 mm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Pyrostilpnite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.4318:1:0.3939

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.84, b = 15.84, c = 6.24, Z = 4; beta = 117.15° V = 601.58 Den(Calc)= 5.98

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - PrismaticH-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/c

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.224(1), 3.12(0.87), 2.841(0.69),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 0 1 0) ( 2 4 1) ( 1 1 0) ( 1 4 1)

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Crystal Structure:

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Kutoglu A , Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Monatshefte , 1968 (1968) p.145-160, Die struktur des pyrostilpnits (feuerblende) Ag3SbS3, Locality: St. Andreasberg, Harz Mountains, Germany

Physical Properties of Pyrostilpnite

Cleavage:

{010} Perfect

Color:

Hyacinth red, Orange red.

Density:

4.25 - 5.94, Average = 5.09

Diaphaneity:

Translucent

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Habit:

Acicular - Occurs as needle-like crystals.

Habit:

Crystalline - Fine - Occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals.

Hardness:

2 - Gypsum

Luster:

Adamantine

Streak:

orange yellow

Optical Properties of Pyrostilpnite

Optical Data:

Biaxial (+), a=2.7, b=2.7, g=2.7, bire=0.0000

Pleochroism (x):

lemon yellow.

Pleochroism (y):

lemon yellow.

Pleochroism (z):

lemon yellow.

Calculated Properties of Pyrostilpnite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.30 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Pyrostilpnite =5.98 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0013322529
Boson Index = 0.9986677471

Photoelectric:

PE_{Pyrostilpnite}= 229.29 barns/electron
U=PE_{Pyrostilpnite} x rElectron Density=1,215.30 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Pyrostilpnite Classification

Dana Class:

03.04.02.02 (03)Sulfides - Sulfosalts

(03.04)where z/y > 3 - (A+)i (A++)j [By Cz], A=metals, B=semi-metals, C=non-metals

(03.04.02)Xanthoconite Group (Ruby Silver)

03.04.02.01 Xanthoconite Ag3AsS3 A2/a 2/m

03.04.02.02 Pyrostilpnite Ag3SbS3 P 2₁/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

02.GA.10 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.G - Sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites

02.GA -Neso-sulfarsenites, etc., without additional S

02.GA.10 Pyrostilpnite Ag3SbS3 P 2₁/c 2/m

02.GA.10 Xanthoconite Ag3AsS3 A2/a 2/m

Other Pyrostilpnite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Pyrostilpnite :
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 Pyrostilpnite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
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Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

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

Pyrostilpnite

Ag3SbS3
Dana No: 03.04.02.02 Strunz No: 02.GA.10
Locality:

Notes: