Sternbergite Mineral Data

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General Sternbergite Information

Chemical Formula:

AgFe2S3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 315.76 gm

Iron 35.37 % Fe

Silver 34.16 % Ag

Sulfur 30.47 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

AgFe²⁺₂S₃

Environment:

Secondary silver sulfide in silver-bearing ore deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1828

Locality:

Occurs with pyrargyrite and stephanite at Joachemstal, Bohemia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Count Casper Maria Sternberg (1761-1838), of the National Museum in Prague.

Name Pronunciation:

Sternbergite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 68347

PDF 38-460

Sternbergite Image

Images:

Sternbergite

Comments: Silvery, blocky to prisimatic sternbergite crystals with minor red pyrargyrite.
Location: Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal), Ostrov, Krusné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge), Karlovy Vary Region, Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Czech Republic. Scale: Specimen Size 13 x 7 x 3.5 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Sternbergite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5731:1:1.1031

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.625, b = 11.558, c = 12.75, Z = 8; V = 976.29 Den(Calc)= 4.30

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: C mma

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 4.29(1), 2.79(0.7), 3.22(0.5),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 0 1 1) ( 1 1 1) ( 1 0 2) ( 2 6 3) ( 0 0 1)

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Crystal Structure:

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Pertlik F , Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Monatshefte , 1987 (1987) p.458-464, Crystal structure of sternbergite, AgFe2S3, Locality: Medenec, Krusne hory Mts, Czechoslovakia

Physical Properties of Sternbergite

Cleavage:

{001} Perfect

Color:

Blue violet, Golden brown.

Density:

4.22

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Flexible - Flexible fragments.

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Habit:

Twinning Common - Crystals are usually twinned.

Hardness:

1-1.5 - Talc or a little harder

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

black

Optical Properties of Sternbergite

RL Anisotrophism:

Strong, bluish and reddish to lilac, reddish brown to light green with purplish pink shades.

RL Color:

Light brown.

RL Pleochroism:

Distinct in browns.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Sternbergite in Air**
λ	R₁	R₂	∑ R₁(λ)	∑ R₂(λ)
420 nm	27.20	31.00
440 nm	28.40	32.30
460 nm	29.40	33.50
480 nm	30.40	34.70
500 nm	31.10	35.50
520 nm	31.60	36.30
540 nm	32.30	37.20
560 nm	32.90	37.60
580 nm	33.40	37.90
600 nm	34.00	38.10
620 nm	34.50	38.30
640 nm	34.90	38.40
660 nm	35.10	38.50
680 nm	35.20	38.40
700 nm	35.20	38.30

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Sternbergite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	40%	80%	100%	120%	160%	200%	240%	280%	310%
R₁
R₂

Calculated Properties of Sternbergite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.00 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Sternbergite =4.30 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.009784
Boson Index = 0.990216

Photoelectric:

PE_Sternbergite= 96.36 barns/electron
U=PE_Sternbergite x rElectron Density= 385.78 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Sternbergite Classification

Dana Class:

02.09.12.01 (02)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides

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

(02.09.12)Dana Group

02.09.12.01 Sternbergite AgFe2S3 C mma 2/m 2/m 2/m

02.09.12.02 Picotpaulite TlFe2S3 C 222 2 2 2

Strunz Class:

02.CB.65 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.C - Metal Sulfides, M:S = 1:1 (and similar)

02.CB -With Zn, Fe, Cu, Ag, Au, etc

02.CB.65 Argentopyrite AgFe2S3 Pmmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

02.CB.65 Sternbergite AgFe2S3 C mma 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Sternbergite Information

References:

NAME( Ford32) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Sternbergite :
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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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Sternbergite Specimen Label here :

Sternbergite

AgFe2S3
Dana No: 02.09.12.01 Strunz No: 02.CB.65
Locality:

Notes: